Steam has started blocking access to adult games - to open "18+" content, age verification is required in some regions

Recently, Valve introduced mandatory age verification for users on Steam and restricted access to purchasing and viewing adult games (with an R18+ rating). This system has been launched in Australia – previously, an amendment to the Online Safety Act was adopted in the country. Minors under the age of 16 are prohibited from having accounts on certain platforms.

Now, to complete the age verification procedure on Steam, Valve requires a bank card to be linked to the account. However, a debit card is not suitable – a credit card is needed (in Australia, a "debit" version is also available to minors).

 ****

The card must be permanently linked to the profile: if it is removed, the "adult" status will be reset, and access to viewing and purchasing adult games will be blocked again. "Adult" games include not only pornographic projects but also, for example, Cyberpunk 2077 and GTA V.

Judging by the reviews, the launch repeated the story that occurred in the UK, where a similar age verification system was also being rolled out. Due to an error, some debit card holders were able to successfully link them to their accounts and verify their age, although this should not have happened.