alt Hacker NewsPeople here in comments seem to not read past the title that editorized, but in a wrong way.
This is basically only requirement to make games available for players under 16 so its certnly done under regulatory pressure because no way on earth they can moderate every game from unpaid users.
What about if a kid under the age of 16 wants to publish a game for other under 16 year old friends, like what Roblox was created for?
Now they need a paid subscription with an id check to become a 'trusted friend'.