Steam UK Implements Age Assurance Process to Accommodate for Online Safety Act
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Key points
- Steam published a statement detailing the authorization process to access mature content.
- UK users must add a valid credit card and complete a £0 authorization.
- This is because individuals in the UK must be 18 years or older to obtain a credit card in the UK.
Steam published a statement detailing the new authorization process required for users in the UK to access mature content. The process involves logging into an active user account and going through age verification, which prompts the user to enter credit card details with the following information:
- Credit Card type
- Credit card number
- CVV
- Expiry date
- Name and billing address
Upon entering the above information, the Steam user must click continue, thereby prompting a £0 authorization. The reasoning behind this process is to comply with the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA), and in the UK, only individuals over the age of 18 can obtain a credit card.
Having the credit card stored as a payment method “acts as an additional deterrent against circumventing age verification by sharing a single Steam user account among multiple persons,” Valve wrote in the official blog update post. For those unable to register their credit card on Steam, Valve states the user should contact their local bank. If that is unsuccessful, Valve asks users to open a Steam support ticket.
The UK and payment processors have been pressuring online platforms to create safer spaces for minors. Steam had previously removed several NSFW titles from its catalogue after The Collective Shout campaign engaged with legal frameworks and government bodies in the UK.
