Dr. Stephan Dreyer has taken on the role of legal expert on the Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK)’s advisory board. The committee was reconstituted in December 2025 for the 2026–2028 term.
The USK Advisory Board unites experts from various institutions involved in German youth media protection, including those from society, science, politics, and business. The board provides technical support to the USK and its various areas of work, ensuring the socio-political acceptance and transparency of its activities. Additionally, the USK Advisory Board establishes the formal basis for the USK’s work, including the USK statutes and the guiding criteria for age ratings. Heico Michael Engelhardt, representative of the Working Group for Child and Youth Welfare (AGJ) and head of SOS Children’s Villages Schleswig-Holstein, is the chair of the committee.
The Advisory Board consists of representatives from the highest state youth authorities; the Federal Ministry of Education, Family, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth; churches and religious communities; the Society for Media Education and Communication Culture (GMK); the Federal Center for Child and Youth Media Protection (BzKJ); the Commission for Youth Media Protection (KJM); child and youth welfare organizations; the games industry; and the USK’s youth protection experts.
To the USK press release (in German)
Current Members of the Avisory Board
- Heico Michael Engelhardt (Chair of the Advisory Board), Working Group for Child and Youth Welfare (AGJ) and Director of SOS Children’s Villages Schleswig-Holstein
- Katja Engelberg, Ministry for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Refugees, and Integration of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
- Moritz Vogel, Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD)
- Dr. phil. Ingrid Stapf, German Bishops’ Conference (DBK)
- Maja Wegener, Federal Working Group for Child and Youth Protection (BAJ)
- Stephan Dreyer (legal expert of the Advisory Board), Leibniz Institute for Media Research │Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI)
- Felix Falk, game – German Trade Association of the Games Industry
- Miriam Junker-Ojo, Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ)
- Eva Hanel (spokesperson for the USK’s youth protection experts), Lower Saxony State Office for Youth Protection (LJS)
- Sebastian Gutknecht, Federal Center for Child and Youth Media Protection (BzKJ)
- Eva-Maria Sommer, Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (KJM)
- Clemens Mayer-Wegelin, game – German Games Industry Association and Nintendo of Europe SE
- Nicole Müller, Ministry for Family, Women, Youth, Integration, and Consumer Protection Rhineland-Palatinate (MFFJIV)
- Cordula Zimmer (representative of USK.online members), Wooga GmbH
- Prof. Dr. Eik-Henning, Society for Media Education and Communication Culture (GMK)
More information about the USK Advisory Board
Photo: USK