Financial censorship: Difference between revisions

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*This could allow payment processors to censor media they do not like, by refusing to process payments for that specific type of media.

*Very anti-consumer, not allowing you to purchase the legal media that you want.

==Notable incidents==

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''Main article:'' [[Valve allows ISPs and payment processors to censor content on Steam|Valve allows financial censorship of Steam games]]

In July 2025, [[Steam]], an online platform and digital marketplace for video games and related computer software and assets, added a new rule to their [https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding#5 publishing guidelines] against "in particular, certain kinds of adult only content", and proceeded to withdraw hundreds of titles from sale on the platform.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Koselke |first=Anna |date=2025-07-18 |title=Valve confirms pressure from banks and card companies is to blame for the storefront axing adult Steam games: "Loss of payment methods would prevent customers from being able to purchase other titles" |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250726022008/https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ |archive-date=26 Jul 2025 |access-date=15 Aug 2025 |work=GamesRadar+ |quote=Judging by the information available on SteamDB, over 100 games have been marked as "retired" from Valve's storefront in just two days – many of which are titles with adult-only content.}}</ref> This was due to a demand from payment processors [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Inc. '''Visa Inc.'''] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastercard '''Mastercard'''] after multiple complaints from a group called [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_Shout '''Collective Shout'''] <ref name = "Visa-Mastercard-Censorship">{{Cite news | last=Hansford | first=Amelia | title=Why are Visa and Mastercard banning ‘adult’ purchases? Here’s everything you need to know | url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/04/visa-mastercard-adult-purchases/ | website=ThePinkNews | date=2025-08-04 | access-date=2025-09-02 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250814182300/https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/04/visa-mastercard-adult-purchases/ | archive-date=2025-08-14}}</ref>

In July 2025, [[Steam]], an online platform and digital marketplace for video games and related computer software and assets, added a new rule to their [https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding#5 publishing guidelines] against "in particular, certain kinds of adult only content", and proceeded to withdraw hundreds of titles from sale on the platform.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Koselke |first=Anna |date=2025-07-18 |title=Valve confirms pressure from banks and card companies is to blame for the storefront axing adult Steam games: "Loss of payment methods would prevent customers from being able to purchase other titles" |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250726022008/https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ |archive-date=26 Jul 2025 |access-date=15 Aug 2025 |work=GamesRadar+ |quote=Judging by the information available on SteamDB, over 100 games have been marked as "retired" from Valve's storefront in just two days – many of which are titles with adult-only content.}}</ref> This was due to a demand from payment processors [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Inc. '''Visa Inc.'''] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastercard '''Mastercard'''] after multiple complaints from a group called [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_Shout '''Collective Shout'''] <ref name="Visa-Mastercard-Censorship">{{Cite news | last=Hansford | first=Amelia | title=Why are Visa and Mastercard banning ‘adult’ purchases? Here’s everything you need to know | url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/04/visa-mastercard-adult-purchases/ | website=ThePinkNews | date=2025-08-04 | access-date=2025-09-02 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250814182300/https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/04/visa-mastercard-adult-purchases/ | archive-date=2025-08-14}}</ref>

===Itch.io===

In July 2025, [[Itch.io]], a platform for many indie games, delisted "all adult {{Wplink|Not safe for work|NSFW}} content" from their storefront. Later that month, they restored all NSFW games, as long as they're free. Currently, they are in negotiations with payment processors to start restoring some paid titles, but they have acknowledged that this will see some titles permanently removed from the platform. <ref name = "Visa-Mastercard-Censorship" />

In July 2025, [[Itch.io]], a platform for many indie games, delisted "all adult {{Wplink|Not safe for work|NSFW}} content" from their storefront. Later that month, they restored all NSFW games, as long as they're free. Currently, they are in negotiations with payment processors to start restoring some paid titles, but they have acknowledged that this will see some titles permanently removed from the platform. <ref name="Visa-Mastercard-Censorship" />

===Wikileaks, 2011===

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*https://www.change.org/p/stop-payment-processors-from-dictating-legal-purchases

*https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/987/text

== Further reading ==

* [[Value based pricing]]

==References==

[[Category:Common terms]]

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 *This could allow payment processors to censor media they do not like, by refusing to process payments for that specific type of media.
 *Very anti-consumer, not allowing you to purchase the legal media that you want.
 ==Notable incidents==
@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 ''Main article:'' [[Valve allows ISPs and payment processors to censor content on Steam|Valve allows financial censorship of Steam games]]
-In July 2025, [[Steam]], an online platform and digital marketplace for video games and related computer software and assets, added a new rule to their [https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding#5 publishing guidelines] against "in particular, certain kinds of adult only content", and proceeded to withdraw hundreds of titles from sale on the platform.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Koselke |first=Anna |date=2025-07-18 |title=Valve confirms pressure from banks and card companies is to blame for the storefront axing adult Steam games: "Loss of payment methods would prevent customers from being able to purchase other titles" |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250726022008/https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ |archive-date=26 Jul 2025 |access-date=15 Aug 2025 |work=GamesRadar+ |quote=Judging by the information available on SteamDB, over 100 games have been marked as "retired" from Valve's storefront in just two days – many of which are titles with adult-only content.}}</ref> This was due to a demand from payment processors [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Inc. '''Visa Inc.'''] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastercard '''Mastercard'''] after multiple complaints from a group called [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_Shout '''Collective Shout'''] <ref name = "Visa-Mastercard-Censorship">{{Cite news | last=Hansford | first=Amelia | title=Why are Visa and Mastercard banning ‘adult’ purchases? Here’s everything you need to know | url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/04/visa-mastercard-adult-purchases/ | website=ThePinkNews | date=2025-08-04 | access-date=2025-09-02 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250814182300/https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/04/visa-mastercard-adult-purchases/ | archive-date=2025-08-14}}</ref>
+In July 2025, [[Steam]], an online platform and digital marketplace for video games and related computer software and assets, added a new rule to their [https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding#5 publishing guidelines] against "in particular, certain kinds of adult only content", and proceeded to withdraw hundreds of titles from sale on the platform.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Koselke |first=Anna |date=2025-07-18 |title=Valve confirms pressure from banks and card companies is to blame for the storefront axing adult Steam games: "Loss of payment methods would prevent customers from being able to purchase other titles" |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250726022008/https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ |archive-date=26 Jul 2025 |access-date=15 Aug 2025 |work=GamesRadar+ |quote=Judging by the information available on SteamDB, over 100 games have been marked as "retired" from Valve's storefront in just two days – many of which are titles with adult-only content.}}</ref> This was due to a demand from payment processors [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Inc. '''Visa Inc.'''] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastercard '''Mastercard'''] after multiple complaints from a group called [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_Shout '''Collective Shout'''] <ref name="Visa-Mastercard-Censorship">{{Cite news | last=Hansford | first=Amelia | title=Why are Visa and Mastercard banning ‘adult’ purchases? Here’s everything you need to know | url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/04/visa-mastercard-adult-purchases/ | website=ThePinkNews | date=2025-08-04 | access-date=2025-09-02 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250814182300/https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/04/visa-mastercard-adult-purchases/ | archive-date=2025-08-14}}</ref>
 ===Itch.io===
-In July 2025, [[Itch.io]], a platform for many indie games, delisted "all adult {{Wplink|Not safe for work|NSFW}} content" from their storefront. Later that month, they restored all NSFW games, as long as they're free. Currently, they are in negotiations with payment processors to start restoring some paid titles, but they have acknowledged that this will see some titles permanently removed from the platform. <ref name = "Visa-Mastercard-Censorship" />
+In July 2025, [[Itch.io]], a platform for many indie games, delisted "all adult {{Wplink|Not safe for work|NSFW}} content" from their storefront. Later that month, they restored all NSFW games, as long as they're free. Currently, they are in negotiations with payment processors to start restoring some paid titles, but they have acknowledged that this will see some titles permanently removed from the platform. <ref name="Visa-Mastercard-Censorship" />
 ===Wikileaks, 2011===
@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 *https://www.change.org/p/stop-payment-processors-from-dictating-legal-purchases
 *https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/987/text
+== Further reading ==
+* [[Value based pricing]]
 ==References==
 <references />
 [[Category:Common terms]]