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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE] · [TECHNOLOGY]
2 clusters · 7 sources · 15 days · First seen · Last updated
Steam age verification requirements in Australia
Overview
To comply with the Age-Restricted Material App Distribution Services Code in Australia, Valve has implemented a new age verification system for Steam users. This policy requires users to provide a valid Australian credit card to access or purchase games with an R18+ classification.
This specific method has drawn criticism because Valve does not accept debit cards, PayPal, or other digital wallets, nor does it utilize methods used by competitors such as government ID checks or facial age estimation. Critics have noted that the requirement creates accessibility issues, as credit card ownership is declining in Australia, particularly among young adults aged 18 to 24.
While the eSafety Commission mandates age verification for online games, reports indicate that the decision to restrict verification solely to credit cards is a choice made by Valve rather than a specific legal mandate. Consequently, some users are currently unable to view product pages for certain adult-rated titles on the platform.
Entities
Steam · Valve · Epic Games Store · PlayStation · Australian Classification Board
Timeline
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5 days ago
[TECHNOLOGY] 3 sourcesSteam requires Australian credit cards for R18+ content accessSteam now requires Australian users to provide a credit card to access R18+ rated games and store pages to comply with local age verification laws, excluding debit cards and PayPal.
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19 days ago
[TECHNOLOGY] 4 sourcesValve requires credit cards for Steam age verification in AustraliaValve now requires Australian Steam users to provide an active credit card to verify they are 18 or older to access R18+ rated games, a stricter method than competitors like Xbox and PlayStation.
Sources
biometricupdate.com · fragster.de · nordic.ign.com · pcgamer.com · pocketgamer.biz · world-today-news.com · za.ign.com