UK Steam users must register a credit card to unlock game titles with adult content – UK’s Online Safety Act requires blocking minors from accessing mature content

Valve has started enforcing a new UK-only rule on Steam: If you want to browse or buy “mature” games, you’ll need to put a valid credit card on file. The move comes in response to the UK’s Online Safety Act, which requires platforms to block under-18s from accessing adult content. Steam’s approach is blunt but effective, and, naturally, it’s already causing backlash.

Child protection law with adult consequences

The UK’s Online Safety Act was passed in 2023 under the previous Conservative government, but its enforcement deadlines only kicked in this summer. The UK’s media regulator, Ofcom, directed sites to implement “highly effective” age checks for pornographic, violent, and other adult material. If a platform fails to comply, it could be fined up to 10% of global revenue, or even be blocked in the UK.

Credit cards are one of the approved methods of implementing these age verification checks, since UK banks already verify that cardholders are over 18. Steam has opted to implement this verification method over other, more controversial ones, such as ID checks or liveness scans, meaning that UK users now see a prompt to add a credit card to their account if they wish to browse adult-only titles.

Once a card is stored, the account is treated as verified indefinitely. Valve stresses that this system doesn’t share any new personal data beyond the usual PCI-compliant payment processing. That’s a key distinction from more invasive checks, which other platforms are rolling out.

Still, it’s a narrow path. Not every adult in the UK has a credit card or wants one, with roughly one-third of UK consumers relying on debit cards or alternative payment methods. Valve’s system doesn’t currently accept government IDs or bank-based age checks, meaning legitimate adult players could lose access to entire sections of the store simply because they lack the correct identification.

Valve encourages users to contact their local banks if they encounter this problem, but advises that they can also “open a Steam support ticket” if their bank is unable to resolve the issue.

Privacy overreach

Privacy advocates also argue that mandatory checks — however light — are an overreach. Groups like the Open Rights Group and the Electronic Frontier Foundation warn that forcing users to hand over financial details to browse a storefront sets a dangerous precedent. Meanwhile, players on Reddit have flagged glitches in the rollout, reporting failed £1 authorization charges and confusion over whether debit cards count.

For most blockbuster titles — think Call of Duty or Cyberpunk 2077 — nothing changes. These are PEGI-18 for violence but not “adult content” under Ofcom’s rules. The legislation is specifically targeting niche erotic or explicit titles, which will see sales crater in the UK. Developers have already warned of creeping censorship as payment firms and storefronts play it safe.

In the end, the Online Safety Act may keep kids away from explicit titles, but it also could leave some adult gamers locked out of their own hobby.

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