In an amusing turn of events, a British Steam user recently found themselves in the peculiar situation of being asked to verify they were over 18 years old - despite their Steam account itself being 19 years old. This ironic scenario sparked amusement among the gaming community on social media platforms, highlighting the sometimes awkward implementation of new digital regulations.

The age verification requirement stems from Valve's compliance with the UK Online Safety Act (OSA), which was originally passed in 2023 but has been gradually rolling out implementation measures. Since August 29th, the company has introduced new verification protocols specifically for UK-based users attempting to access mature content games on the Steam platform.

The current verification system utilizes the active credit card associated with a user's account to confirm their age. This approach represents a significant shift from previous methods used in various regions, where users could simply enter their date of birth without additional verification checks. Under the new system, users under 18 are restricted from accessing mature-rated games and their corresponding community hubs.

The situation gained attention when Twitter user Christina Tasty shared their experience of receiving an age verification prompt despite maintaining their Steam account for 19 years. While noting that the verification process itself wasn't particularly intrusive, they expressed surprise at being asked to confirm their age given their account's longstanding history.

Interestingly, the verification prompt appeared when the user attempted to visit the Steam page for a game they already owned. Their social media post sparked a chain reaction, with other long-time Steam users sharing images of their own account ages in the comments section. Many commenters pointed out that the UK legislation itself, rather than Valve's implementation, was primarily responsible for the somewhat ironic situation.

The implementation of the UK Online Safety Act on Steam coincides with broader changes affecting adult-oriented content on the platform. Recently, several adult games have been removed from the digital storefront due to new restrictions prohibiting content banned by payment processors such as Visa and Mastercard. This policy change has also impacted other platforms like Itch.io, though some content was restored following community feedback.

Earlier this year, some users began noticing an option to skip mature content warnings on certain game pages. However, this feature appears to have been part of a limited test rather than a full platform-wide rollout, indicating Valve's ongoing experimentation with content access management systems.

Latest Game Information