US EditionMastercard Denies It Pressured Steam, Itch.io to Delist Adult Games
GLOBAL, AUG 1 – Mastercard denies direct role in adult game removals, attributing actions to payment processors enforcing legal standards amid pressure from Australian activist group Collective Shout.
- Following reports, Mastercard stated it has not evaluated any game or imposed restrictions, emphasizing all lawful purchases are allowed under its standards.
- Australian anti-porn lobbying group Collective Shout claimed that Steam and Itch.io hosted illicit sexual content, prompting pressure on payment processors, according to its open letter.
- In the weeks since support withdrawal, Itch.io halted sales of adult content under Stripe’s policy and later re-listed free NSFW games amid ongoing discussions, while Steam began purging content.
- Game organizations, developers, and artists have mobilized massive pushback, and a Change.org petition demanding transparency and policy reversal has surpassed 174,000 signatures.
- Among broader implications, critics warn that payment rules could stifle legal creative expression, as lawmakers introduced the Fair Access to Banking Act .
13 Articles
13 Articles
Visa and Mastercard Deny Direct Involvement in Gaming Censorship Amid Mass Backlash
In a escalating controversy shaking the gaming industry, payment giants Visa and Mastercard have issued statements denying direct involvement in the recent wave of adult-themed game removals from platforms like Steam and itch.io. The post Visa and Mastercard Deny Direct Involvement in Gaming Censorship Amid Mass Backlash appeared first on That Park Place.
Steam is one of the main reasons why gaming on PC has become more popular and every year that goes by we see that there are more people who go to computer. This is not only the biggest online store to buy games there is, but it has a community of tens of millions of players who are connected at all times. Steam has thousands of games, but a few weeks ago it withdrew several dozen of these, being all games with adult content. It has now started a…
Erotic Manga and the Mastercard Steam Scandal
You may have heard recently that payment processors — namely Mastercard and Visa — have caused certain videogames to be removed from sale. Quite why it’s up to them what you legally buy with your own money is above my pay grade to try and explain. However, it might wind up blowing up in their faces if history decides to repeat (but surely you can Nazi it coming when it does)... Warning, this article contains some language which people might find…
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