Microsoft—Microsoft lobbied EU against a minors' loot-box ban and real-price display rules in the Digital Fairness Act
Microsoft deployed lobbyists to meet European Commission officials and submitted formal responses opposing a 'blanket ban on loot boxes for minors,' arguing parental controls already address the issue, and opposing requirements to display real-world prices for in-game purchases, saying this 'may not be possible, especially on small smartphone screens.' The lobbying was part of a broader industry campaign against the EU's planned Digital Fairness Act in which gaming and tech firms made up roughly 83% of nearly 100 Commission meetings on the draft law since December 2024.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child Safety | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Regulatory Capture | +toward | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.429 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (medium ×1) × confidence (0.57)
Evidence (1 signal)
Follow the Money: Microsoft lobbied against minors' loot-box ban and price-display rules in EU consultation
Follow the Money reported Microsoft deployed lobbyists to meet European Commission officials and, in its response to the EU's public consultation, cautioned against a blanket loot-box ban for minors and objected to real-world price display requirements for in-game purchases.