Unknown child accounts are showing up in PlayStation Network family management without permission, some alongside sign-in ID changes. Here's what we know and what to check right now.
PlayStation players are waking up to a nasty surprise. Users on X say unfamiliar child accounts are appearing in their PSN family management lists without their approval, with names nobody in their household recognizes.
Here’s what’s been reported so far:
- Japan’s Sankei Shimbun says Sony told the paper the matter is “under investigation.” Sankei says the reports date back to early October.
- 4Gamer reports the accounts appear to be created online rather than on a console, so the PS5 setting that blocks new account creation doesn’t stop it. Users say it happened even with two-step verification or passkeys turned on. Sony has not confirmed how it’s happening.
- Some players also say they got emails about sign-in ID or email address changes they never made.
- Per PlayStation’s own support rules, a family manager can’t simply remove a child member, so affected players have to contact PlayStation Support.
Post by @Pirat_Nation on X about unknown PSN child accounts.
– Pirat_Nation (@Pirat_Nation) View the post on X
Check your family list now: on PS5, go to Settings, then Users and Accounts, then Family, then Family Management. Look for names you don’t know, scan your inbox for sign-in ID change emails, and review your saved payment info.
Look, nobody should be cheering when gamers’ accounts are at risk. Lock yours down first. But this is the part that matters: Sony has been quiet publicly for weeks while players found strangers living in their accounts, and the main fix right now is “call support.” That’s not good enough for a platform this big. If you play on Xbox too, it’s a good moment to double check your own Microsoft account security and family settings, because the takeaway here is simple: platforms need to own security problems fast and out loud. We’ll update this the second Sony says more.
Sources
- Sankei Shimbun: Sony says it is investigating unauthorized family accounts (Japanese)
- 4Gamer: third parties able to create child accounts on PlayStation accounts (Japanese)
- Game*Spark via docomo: reports of unknown child accounts added to PSN accounts (Japanese)
- Beebom: PlayStation users report unauthorized child accounts and email changes
- Pirat_Nation on X
Image: Sony Interactive Entertainment (PlayStation.com)
