Payment Giants Force Steam to Remove Games, Sparking Censorship Concerns

Valve's Steam platform has removed several adult-themed games following pressure from payment processors Visa and Mastercard. The July 16 policy change came after credit card companies threatened to withdraw payment services if controversial content remained available. Titles containing terms like "incest" and "slave" were specifically targeted.

Australian activist group Collective Shout claimed responsibility for the removals, having mobilized over 1,000 complaints to payment providers. The organization's co-founder Melinda Tankard Reist celebrated the decision as a victory against objectionable content, while dismissing critics in inflammatory terms.

The incident raises broader questions about financial intermediaries exercising content moderation power. With payment processors becoming de facto arbiters of acceptable speech, industry observers question where such oversight might extend next in digital marketplaces.