UK Steam Users Now Require Credit Card for Mature Content Games
▼ Summary
– Valve now requires UK Steam users to verify their age with a credit card to access mature content and community hubs.
– The company chose credit card verification over selfie-based methods to maximize user privacy and deter account sharing.
– This approach passes age verification responsibility to banks, as UK credit cards require users to be at least 18 years old.
– The policy follows recent findings that UK age-gating rules were easily bypassed, particularly through VPN usage.
– Microsoft is also implementing optional Xbox age verification in the UK, which will become mandatory by early 2026.
Steam users in the United Kingdom now face a new requirement to access mature-rated games and related content on the platform. In response to the UK’s Online Safety Act, Valve has implemented a system where a valid credit card must be stored on the account to verify age before viewing or purchasing adult-oriented titles. This change affects not only game store pages but also community hubs and discussions tied to mature content, effectively locking out those without the required payment method.
Unlike some social platforms that use facial recognition or selfie-based checks, Valve has chosen to rely exclusively on credit card verification. The company defends this approach by emphasizing user privacy, stating that storing a credit card helps prevent account sharing as a way to bypass age restrictions. Since UK law prohibits individuals under 18 from holding a credit card, the responsibility for age confirmation effectively shifts from Valve to financial institutions.
This move follows recent reports that other age-verification methods, including those used by Discord and Reddit, were initially vulnerable to workarounds. Some users briefly circumvented facial scanning tools using features within games like Death Stranding, though those loopholes have since been addressed. Valve’s card-based system aims to reduce such exploits by tying access to a financial instrument that is harder to falsify or share.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has begun testing age verification procedures for Xbox services in the UK as well. Although currently optional, these checks are expected to become mandatory by early 2026 when further provisions of the Online Safety Act take effect. The broader trend points toward stricter digital age-gating across gaming and social platforms, with each company adopting methods that balance compliance, security, and user convenience.
(Source: The Verge)
