Microsoft banned Epstein from Xbox Live for being a sex offender who could prey on kids

The Justice Department's trove of new Jeffrey Epstein-related emails revealed Friday that Microsoft's gaming platform took drastic action against the accused sex trafficker, permanently booting him from Xbox Live.

The December 2013 ban came with an official explanation citing "harassment, threats, and/or abuse of other players," according to emails reviewed by XboxEra. But a second email from Microsoft disclosed the real reason: Epstein was a registered sex offender, and the tech giant was participating in a coordinated effort to purge predators from its platforms.

"We now know the ‘why’: Jeffrey Epstein was banned from Xbox Live due to an agreement between Microsoft and the New York Attorney General for all registered sex offenders to be banned from the service," the report said.

The official email to Epstein reads, "Dear Xbox LIVE member, This message is to notify you that Xbox LIVE has permanently suspended the Xbox LIVE account associated with this email address. This action is based on the New York Attorney General's partnership with Microsoft and other online gaming companies to remove New York registered sex offenders from online gaming services to minimize the risk to others, particularly children."

The notice added, "As a result, any Xbox LIVE account associated with this email address will not be able to connect to Xbox LIVE. If you have an Xbox LIVE Gold subscription, or any unused Microsoft points, we are refunding the remaining value of those to you within 30 days."

While Epstein had been a registered sex offender for years prior, emails suggest he didn't join Xbox Live until October 2012, six months after Microsoft committed to removing sex offenders from online gaming spaces where they could encounter children. The delay meant Epstein's account remained active for roughly 14 months before Microsoft finally shut it down, The Verge noted.

It wasn't immediately clear whether Epstein was a gamer. In July 2014, months after his ban, he inquired, "do we have an xbox 360 kinect?" A 2016 message referenced purchasing an Xbox as a birthday surprise for a boy. By 2019, there were complaints about mysterious Xbox charges on his account.