Steam has started implementing mandatory age verification for Australian residents, but there are issues

The new system prevents not only minors but also the poor from buying 18+ games.

Valve has begun implementing mandatory age verification in the Australian version of Steam for access to R18+ rated games. The change came into effect amidst new requirements of Australian legislation.

However, Valve chose a very unusual way to confirm adulthood. Currently, the user is offered to add a valid Australian credit card to their account, and then update their Mature Content Preferences. Steam does not yet offer other ways to verify age. Users also report that debit cards are not suitable.

Moreover, the restriction applies not only directly to the purchase. Without passing verification, an Australian user will not even see the game page with an age restriction.

The choice of a credit card as the only official method has already caused dissatisfaction among Australian players. The availability of a credit card itself is not guaranteed for every adult user: a person may not meet bank requirements, have insufficient creditworthiness, or fundamentally not use credit products. As a result, an adult Steam owner may find themselves without access even to a game page simply because they do not have a suitable card.

At the same time, Valve seems to have deliberately chosen this option in an effort to minimize the amount of personal data collected. Earlier, when implementing a similar system in the UK, the company explained the use of a bank card by stating that this approach avoids more sensitive methods such as uploading an ID or facial scanning.