I have seen a lot of stuff about how payment processors have been going after any mature content in video games. It seems to me like the ruling classes are doing this on purpose to get the "anti-woke" gamer crowd, and the TERF crowd to go to war against eachother. Which will inevitably pull more people into these groups, and radicalize both even more. While allowing them to silently censor other things, like leftist, and queer content, at the same time without most people noticing.
I'm already seeing the "gamer" types online throwing fits because "The feminists are trying to take titas out of my video game"
Because yes somehow some random non-profit that complained can force payment processors to stop processing certain payments. Like how do they not realize theyre being played.
Along with the piracy crackdowns, and crackdowns on VPN use in some countries this seems like an effort to start reigning in the internet in general, and using this culture war as a cover for doing so. If your not already on Linux, and running DNScrypt/DNS-over-HTTPS through a DNS provider that's less likely to go along with censorship you should consider doing so. And have the TOR browser downloaded pre-emptively just in case.
I'm going to add some links to news articles i think are all connected to this effort to control online traffic.
Italy poisoning DNS https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/italian-court-orders-google-to-block-iptv-pirate-sites-at-dns-level/
Youtube requiring ID https://leveluptalk.com/news/youtube-id-verification-us-2025/
Spotify requiring ID https://www.the-independent.com/tech/spotify-age-checks-verification-b2798937.html
UK Online "Safety" act https://www.politico.com/newsletters/digital-future-daily/2025/07/29/the-uks-new-tech-law-triggers-upheaval-00481803
US Online "Safety" act https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-slams-senate-passage-of-kids-online-safety-act-urges-house-to-protect-free-speech
Payment processors flexing their muscles https://www.theverge.com/games/715299/itchio-games-delisting-payment-processor-paypal
Italian Youtuber facing criminal charges for reviewing retro game console that had ROMs on it https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/handheld-gaming/retro-reviewer-could-face-up-to-three-years-in-jail-over-copyright-italian-authorities-investigate-creator-for-advertising-anbernic-handheld-game-consoles
To me all of these point to a concerted effort to control the internet, and what content is available on it. They'll start out on the easy PR ones like Piracy, and "Kids Safety", and then move on to political speech pretty quickly.
it's pretty funny. the rightoids everywhere always throw the "china firewall is censorship" or "1984 big brother social credit!!" spooks, but at the same time, they tell everyone that we should be doing those things bc reasons