Steam’s New Content Rule: Payment Processors Gain Veto Power Over Games, Sparking Censorship Concerns
Steam’s New Content Rule: Payment Processors Gain Veto Power Over Games, Sparking Censorship Concerns
Steam has implemented a significant new guideline, granting payment processors and financial institutions the power to influence game content on its platform. The updated clause states that games violating “rules and standards set forth by Steam’s payment processors and related card networks and banks, or internet network providers” are now subject to removal.
This policy shift has immediately resulted in the removal of numerous titles, predominantly those featuring explicit adult themes, with many containing controversial keywords like “incest.” While the immediate impact targets what some might consider objectionable content, the move has ignited a heated debate among users who warn of a potentially troubling precedent for “financial censorship.” Critics express concern that empowering financial giants to dictate content appropriateness could eventually extend to broader categories, including the potential mislabeling of queer content as explicit.
The change echoes past actions by payment providers like Mastercard and Visa, who have previously enforced stricter controls on adult content services. Valve, Steam’s parent company, has been contacted for comment regarding this controversial policy update as the gaming community grapples with the implications of this new rule.
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