Payment Providers Face Backlash Over Removal of Adult Games from Steam and Itch.io
TL;DR Summary
Mastercard, Visa, and other payment providers face backlash after pressuring online platforms like Steam and Itch.io to remove hundreds of adult and NSFW games, following campaigns by Australian anti-porn groups. This led to the sudden removal of all NSFW content on Itch.io, sparking concerns over censorship, free expression, and the impact on LGBTQ+ content, amid broader debates on internet regulation and morality. The move has garnered international attention and public protests, with notable figures like Elon Musk commenting on the issue.
- Mastercard and Visa face backlash after hundreds of adult games removed from online stores Steam and Itch.io The Guardian
- UKIE responds to adult games being pulled from Steam and itch.io after pressure from payment providers GamesIndustry.biz
- 'Dangerous on a whole new level'—while Steam's policy change is new, the shadow of credit card meddling has been looming for a while, with Nier: Automata's Yoko Taro sounding the alarm last year PC Gamer
- Itch.io is the latest marketplace to crack down on adult games TechCrunch
- "We approached payment processors because Steam did not respond" - Australian pressure group Collective Shout claims responsibility for Steam and Itch.io NSFW game removal Eurogamer
Reading Insights
Total Reads
0
Unique Readers
1
Time Saved
4 min
vs 5 min read
Condensed
91%
870 → 81 words
Want the full story? Read the original article
Read on The Guardian