After YouTube, Steam now requires age verification for mature games

Steam is implementing a new age verification process, applied only to UK users as of now, as required by the UK Online Safety Act (OSA). Regulated by Ofcom, the UK Online Safety Act requires platforms to protect their users from harmful content.

According to Steam's official website support page, to access Steam store pages for mature content games, as well as their associated community hubs, a UK user must be logged into their account and explicitly choose to confirm that they are okay with accessing it via the account settings.

To complete the opt-in process, UK users are further required to verify their age by linking a credit card to their Steam account. As long as a valid credit card is stored on the account, the account is considered age-verified. One must be at least 18 to obtain a credit card in the UK.

Explaining the reason behind their new policy, Steam wrote:

"In the UK, Ofcom is the independent regulator for online safety. Ofcom’s guidance on the OSA states that one highly effective age assurance measure is credit card checks. This is because, in the UK, an individual must be at least 18 years of age to obtain a credit card, therefore credit card issuers are obliged to verify the age of an applicant before providing them with a credit card."

The company added that storing a credit card as a payment method provides an "additional deterrent" to prevent people from bypassing age verification by sharing a single Steam user account among multiple persons.

They also mentioned that age verification using a credit card to access mature-rated game store pages and community hubs, a mechanism reviewed by Valve, "preserves the maximum degree of user privacy."

"The data processed in the verification process is identical to that of the millions of other Steam users who make purchases or store their payment details for convenience. The verification process therefore provides no information about a user's content preferences to payment providers or other third parties. Valve handles the verification process using its own internal payment processing system, which is independently certified under the PCI-DSS standard," they added.

Meanwhile, in August, YouTube also began testing a new age verification system in the US using artificial intelligence.

4Chan files a legal case against Ofcom

4chan is suing the UK government over their speech laws. The opening is quite something. pic.twitter.com/btLlpM0Y1r

— tobi lutke (@tobi) August 27, 2025

Popular internet forums 4chan and Kiwi Farms recently filed a lawsuit against the UK Online Safety Act regulator, Ofcom, in a Washington, DC, Federal Court.

"This lawsuit seeks to restrain Ofcom’s conduct and its continuing egregious violations of Americans’ civil rights, including, without limitation, to the right of freedom of speech," the complaint stated.

According to the BBC, these US-based companies are also seeking the US courts to declare that "US businesses with no presence in the UK are not subject to British legislation."

"Foreign governments, particularly those in Europe, which have not managed to build technology sectors of their own have, for the past half-decade or more, sought to control the American Internet, and hobble American competitiveness, through a range of legislative and nonlegislative initiatives," the lawsuit added.

In response, Ofcom told the outlet that it was aware of the lawsuit and stated that under the Online Safety Act, any service with links to the UK has a duty to protect UK users, regardless of where in the world it is based.

"We are aware of this lawsuit. Under the Online Safety Act, any service that has links with the UK now has duties to protect UK users, no matter where in the world it is based."

The lawsuit comes as Ofcom initiated an investigation into 4Chan in June 2025 to determine whether the platform was complying with its "obligations under the Online Safety Act 2023."

According to Ofcom's official website, the investigation was followed by a "provisional notice of contravention" in August, for failing to "comply with two requests for information."

"Ofcom is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for believing the provider has contravened its duties under section 102(8) of the Act to comply with two requests for information. We will consider any representations provided in response to this provisional notice before we make a final decision on this matter."

The attorneys for the online message board also told the BBC that the UK's regulatory body imposed a £20,000 fine "with daily penalties thereafter."

Stay tuned for more updates.