View source for News/Valve Reveals Age Verification

{{News
|seo_title=Valve Reveals Age Verification
|seo_keywords=Valve
|image=Valve.PNG
|tags=Valve
|date=2025-08-29T15:17:20.000Z
|sources={{NewsSource
|source=Games Industry
|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/valve-introduces-age-verification-for-uk-steam-users
|article=News/Valve Reveals Age Verification
}}
|author=Andura
|category=More
|content=Starting August 29, 2025, Steam users in the United Kingdom must verify their age to access Adult content on the platform, Valve announced. This new requirement aligns with the UK Online Safety Act (OSA), which came into force on July 25, 2025, mandating stricter protections for children online.

Under the updated policy, UK Steam users wishing to view mature content or access related community hubs must opt in and complete an age verification process. Valve clarified in a recent Steam Support blog post that verification involves logging into the account and linking a valid credit card. Successful completion of this step enables users to unlock previously restricted mature content via the Store Preferences page.

[[Companies/Valve|Valve]] announced that once a credit card is added, the account remains "age verified" as long as the payment method is stored. The company cited Ofcom, the UK's independent online safety regulator, explaining the rationale behind credit card checks: "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."

Additionally, Valve pointed out that having a credit card linked to the account helps prevent misuse, such as multiple people sharing a single Steam account to bypass age restrictions.

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}}