That's only Australia. Smut is still banned here.
this post was submitted on 09 Sep 2026
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Woulda been nice if that was included in the title, OP.
op doesn't care, they're a spambot
Is credit score as big of scam in other countries as it is in the US?
This is an unanswerable question.
Two very dumb things:
- insisting on "verify you're oved 18" even for Steam accounts are over 18 years old.
- insisting on credit cards, when most Aussies don't have one. We use debit cards because we have money, why use credit?
I now know a few people in their 40s who are wondering if they should sign up for unwanted credit cards just so they can keep buying games on Steam.
100% malicious compliance. Steam never likes being told what to do by anyone - users, devs, governments.
Edit:.. Aaand it's in breech of the codes. So.. I guess the ACCC will have to take Valve to court again.
The code terms mandate that age checks must be 'robust, reliable and fair'. Forcing people to get credit card accounts would not meet the code. It explicitly states "in order for age checks to be fair, service providers should offer more than one method of age checks to users".
Even if your account is 18 years old?
My account is old enough to drink in the US.
Added
Just realised that means my steam account is about to have it's birthday. I wonder what the new badge will look like.
Probably a 23.
Not that this affects me in any way, but I wonder if this can differentiate between an 18+ person with a credit card in their name versus a 16-17 year old authorized user of said credit card.
Nope
Although they can be predatory, there are banks that will give a credit card to someone with bad credit. The trick is to only use it for small, planned things like groceries and pay off the balance each month so that you do not earn interest.
I don't understand people who don't use credit cards that way. Why would you spend money that you do not have only to end up spending more later on?
I mean, I can see it if you're broke and lost your job and need to eat so you stretch it as long as you can but that's not someone in a situation that should be using it to buy video games.
It's also useful for travel or large purchases since they often include protection. As a general rule, you should not be purchasing things you normally would on a credit card unless the intention is an immediate payoff. For large purchases, though, they can be useful: fix something wrong with the house, get some expensive equipment you need for work, etc. As long as you have a plan to pay off quickly, then all's good.
My account is older than 18 🧠
Children can have credit cards.
Yes, in their name. The credit account must belong to an adult, though.
Better than realID or whatever.
Hilarious! I mean, imagine that! It will automatically fix itself.
I don't mind it as long as it means they will treat adult games fair