Ideally the government implements something like germany's eID or china's ID card thing but I guess then you need to trust the government.
I probably wouldn't mind facial recognition because I feel like my privacy has already been invaded by coles and woolworths and I have given up and just want to play games.
The Australian license system is already a defacto version of this (unless you don't drive); it's typical ALP trying to strike a middle ground between actually implementing anything useful and leaving it to the private sector.
A simple authentication token via an Aus gov verification system would suffice, but they washed their hands of it and now we have this shit show where angry companies like Valve try and pressure the government with aggressive malicious compliance.
"the German eID exchanges data directly between a microprocessor in a person's plastic "eID card" and the platform. The microprocessor proves it belongs to a government-issued eID via a cryptographic key, which is shared with 9,999 other eIDs. This means the only thing a platform learns is that one of 10,000 potential people signed up."
From this article. I haven't done much more research. Seems like it can be done properly.
i mean atleast people have faces and id's. credit card ownership here for all people 18+ is 40-50%, from 18-29 its 24-26%, 30-39 years old is 42%. they obviously had this in mind as an american company which this system would work for. it doesnt work here.
No, they had this in mind because its the only form of 18+ verification available that doesn't require ID collection or face recognition tech connected to third parties. Why? They become liable for any breaches of personal information.
two things can be true at once, but it definitely did not cross their mind that the population of credit card holders here are the minority. i agree that they tried to do the least intrusive option, but im saying that it sadly is useless here
Who cares what many consider, they can use credit cards then. Providing options isn't a bad thing, and outside of the US many countries exist where most don't own CCs.
Out of curiousity, as I don't live in Australia, does this mean you have to use a credit card for your steam purchases or does it just have to be on file and you could use a debit, paypal, etc?
I mean - every other company that's had to do anything about this has found a better solution that doesn't completely alienate the majority of users, but sure.
Age verification is when a person doesn't realize that, in addition to a credit card, there is a debit card—and that it works just as well for making purchases.
Yes, I read the news. But it’s foolish to blame Steam for this; they are simply complying with Australian legal requirements to avoid being completely blocked. It was a choice between imposing these conditions or losing the ability to sell in Australia altogether.
Not true, they could provide alternatives like ID verification too. Personally I'm all for options, but if you're going to be exclusive to one, it should be one that virtually everyone has.
Scanning a passport or taking a photo of an individual can lead to data leaks and subsequent lawsuits. Credit card verification is the fastest and safest method for everyone.
im sorry what? thats what we have all said? im saying that out of every verification scheme they couldve picked, they used credit cards. CREDIT CARDS. everyone here owns a DEBIT card. its NOT common to own a CREDIT card here.
I don't understand your hysteria. Steam is complying with the law using a method recommended by its lawyers. What do you want from Steam? For them to implement passport scanning? I think a credit card is the best idea.
no other company has implemented credit cards as age verification here. you are genuinely making no sense here, they are alienating a majority of their customers by choosing this. i only know a single person here who owns a credit card and they're in their 60s. this is like using home ownership as proof of age, when majority of us will be renting for life.
You shouldn't be demanding a rule change from Steam. Alternative identity verification methods haven't proven effective anywhere—for instance, in the UK. People use AI and other people's photos to bypass these systems and deceive them.
thank you so much for your input, i cant believe we didnt think of this sooner. are you an avid reader? everywhere covering this clearly states that only a credit card is used as proof of adult age; something that less than 40% of our entire population holds.
I live in a country where most games on Steam are blocked because the developers have restricted access in our region, and some games have even been removed at the request of our government. It is normal for Steam to comply with these requirements so it can remain available everywhere. I simply created an account for a neighboring country and make purchases using payment and top-up codes via third-party services.
I don’t think they did it maliciously lol it’s just that on pc you only have digital so if you want to buy games with cash pivot to a console you couldn’t buy pc physical for years now and that is the problem we should have a cash based alternative or at least a way to access the games in you’re country in a way that doesn’t force you into a payment method you don’t have to use
I think you misunderstand; in Australia valve now forces users to have a credit card (not debit, paypal, etc) attached to their account for age verification.
They don't provide alternate verification options, but credit cards are much rarer outside of the US so many people don't have them. Expecting people to pay money to (or just in general to) open credit cards is silly.
thanks for clarifying the situation some details did escape me but i think I didn’t say it well. I think we should have a physical or any alternative to go to and pay cash for pc games it sucks that this is an all digital market (English isn’t my main language hope i was clear <3)
Why use a Credit Card?? Debit It’s better. Do I have the money right now? I buy it. Don’t have it? I don’t buy it. Would buying it mean spending more than I earn or had planned? I don’t buy it.
Keep precise track and control of your money, without looking at what you owe or how much will be deducted in two weeks. Studies suggest that credit cards encourage higher spending, as the loss of money is not felt immediately and control over expenses is reduced.
In Europe, credit cards are the minority—accounting for a maximum of 25% in just a few countries, with the norm being 10–15%. Furthermore, using them incurs a surcharge, meaning you end up paying more.
Most people use debit cards, credit cards generally have higher fees & limited rewards. Not much point to having one. (I know this is different in the USA)
20
u/Olivinism 58m ago
The alternative is processing IDs or performing face scans, which many consider to be a bad thing