It seems that Blizzard needs to vette new Diablo III players before they're able to play the full version. Instead, while they're being verified, they'll be stuck playing the Starter Edition of the game.
While unverified, players will have the following restrictions:
* No public game access for unverified digital purchasers
* No auction house access (real-money or gold) for unverified digital purchasers
* Unverified digital purchasers cannot trade items or drop items for other players to receive
* Unverified digital purchasers are not able to chat in any public or game channels
* Unverified digital purchasers cannot attach a custom message to friend requests, but they can send/accept friend requests, and play with their friends
* Global Play is not available for unverified digital purchasers
Let us know if Blizzard's policy seems restrictive to you.