Former member of the Japanese Parliament, Zenko Kurishita, finds the lack of public understanding regarding the true scale of the problem alarming.
Former member of the Japanese Parliament, Zenko Kurishita, in an interview with Denfaminicogamer, raised the issue of censorship imposed by companies like Visa and Mastercard on gaming platforms, including Steam and Itch.io.
The issue of censorship by payment systems has only recently begun to be actively discussed worldwide, but in Japan, it has existed since 2022, when restrictions began on platforms with adult content, such as DLsite. According to Kurishita, the situation has only worsened since then, and the main danger lies in the "invisible" mechanism of such censorship.
Kurishita noted that major credit companies wield enormous power over digital payments, but their true intentions remain unclear. The politician notes that payment systems do not disclose their true goals, explaining their actions as "protecting brand reputation".
Platforms facing restrictions do not receive clear explanations or rules — they simply receive ultimatums with a short deadline, forcing them to massively remove content to avoid losing access to major payment systems.
Representatives of platforms told me that they are suddenly notified: "Starting next week, you will no longer be able to use our services." At the same time, Visa and Mastercard do not even communicate directly, but pass instructions through intermediaries — acquirers or payment operators.
According to the politician, such an opaque system and lack of direct responsibility is the main problem. Companies deny their direct involvement, shifting responsibility to intermediaries, making it impossible to understand who exactly is trying to regulate content.
This uncertainty is the most frightening part of the problem. I think most people do not realize the seriousness of the situation. Companies use this ambiguity to maintain their power, which is very alarming.
To solve the problem, Kurishita proposes raising public awareness and developing alternative payment systems, especially in Japan, where, in his opinion, the country is heavily dependent on foreign payment infrastructure.
