Steam now requires UK users to verify age with credit-card
What's the story
Valve has started implementing the UK's Online Safety Act by requiring all British users to verify their age with a credit card. The verification is mandatory for accessing "mature content" pages and games on Steam. Without a valid credit card linked to their account, UK users can't even access community hubs of mature content games.
Verification method
Valve's approach to age verification
Unlike other platforms like Reddit, Bluesky, and Discord that use selfies for age verification, Valve has opted for credit card verification. The company says this method maintains the highest level of user privacy while preventing people from bypassing age checks by sharing a single Steam account. In the UK, one must be at least 18 years old to get a credit card.
Regulatory compliance
Age verification challenges
Valve's credit card requirement comes after the UK introduced new age-gating rules that were found to be easily bypassed, especially with VPNs. Discord and Reddit's UK age verification systems could be briefly circumvented by Death Stranding's photo mode. However, their face scanning tools have since been updated to prevent this workaround.
Industry trend
What is Microsoft doing with Xbox?
Microsoft has also started implementing Xbox age verification in the UK. Although these checks are optional for now, they will become mandatory to access various Xbox services in early 2026. This change comes as more provisions of the UK's Online Safety Act come into effect, further highlighting the industry's shift toward stricter age verification measures.