Exclusive: 'We're not a compliant organization, we're a leading organization'
How Nex's kid-friendly console aims to be ahead of the UK's Online Safety Act

Date:
Mon, 18 May 2026 06:01:00 +0000

Description:
We speak to Nex's CEO and president about the company's Trust and Safety ambitions.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Nex aims to become a leader in Trust and Safety as it launches its Playground gaming console in the UK The launch comes as gaming companies grapple with the Online Safety Act 2023, which includes special measures for services likely to be used by children President and head of international Tom Kang describes Trust and Safety as "foundational" for the company Nex president and head of international Tom Kang has declared his company is prepared for the UK's Online Safety Act 2023 legislation and poised to become an industry leader in Trust and Safety.

"We're not a complaint organization, we're a leading organization," he told
me ahead of the release of the Nex Playground gaming console in the UK.
"We're in the process of hiring a Trust and Safety industry leader, who we've been consulting with for months. We want her to do research, leading stuff that will create the model of what Trust and Safety could mean. The gold standard." Latest Videos From You may like How to monitor your child's gaming habits UK governments child safety plans could expose kids to 'greater
harms,' warns VPN industry group I took the UK's online safety survey here are the red flags every privacy advocate should know

The Nex Playground is designed primarily for children between the ages of three and 12, hailing from a team led by ex- Apple designer turned Nex CEO David Lee. It features an AI-powered camera used to read the player's
movement to control fun, interactive games including a version of baseball and a port of popular fruit-swiping mobile game Fruit Ninja .

Lee describes privacy as a "number one" concern and tells me that all video
is processed directly on the device using an integrated Neural Processing
Unit (NPU) rather than sent to the cloud. Although its custom operating
system is based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), it's completely locked-down and does not allow the installation of third-party apps. Trust
and Safety from day one Social media platforms like Bluesky also require age verification to access certain features. (Image credit: Future // Dash Wood) The UK launch comes as gaming companies in the region grapple with the
complex legislation of the Online Safety Act 2023, which applies a duty of care to the operators of a wide range of "user-to-user" services with special measures for those that are more "likely to be accessed by children."

Microsoft recently introduced an age verification system for users of its Xbox consoles in the UK, with a one-time check required to access the platform's full social features such as voice and text communication. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Sony is also beginning to roll out its own age verification system for those on PlayStation, with a mandatory age check expected to access communication features later in 2026.

"It's difficult to retrofit your business backwards, if you open the
Pandora's box and if you create all those loopholes," argues Kang, who
appears confident in Nex's ability to meet these obligations. "We start, from day one, foundational in everything we do, as having no leaks in that
bucket."

Nex plans to roll out some online play features this year, though Lee assures me that these have been built on a "symmetric, social consent" model that necessitates mutual intent. In essence, the two players will need to input unique codes from each other in order to connect.

"No stranger can actually do that," says Lee. "Even after that, there's no video or sound or text."

UK pre-orders for the Nex Playground start on May 18 for 269 and will be available at Amazon , Argos, and Smyths Toys. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/exclusive-were-not-a-compliant-organization-were -a-leading-organization-how-nexs-kid-friendly-console-aims-to-be-ahead-of-the- uks-online-safety-act


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