Tag: Online Safety Act

  • PayPal Freezes £80,000 from Adult Steam Game Amid Crackdown

    PayPal Freezes £80,000 from Adult Steam Game Amid Crackdown

    Key Takeaways

    1. Payment processors are pressuring gaming platforms to remove adult-themed content, impacting developers financially.
    2. A programmer is facing financial difficulties after PayPal withheld £80,000 due to the game’s mature content.
    3. PayPal’s policies prohibit transactions related to adult content, but the funds in question are for reimbursement, not game sales.
    4. The programmer has significant debts to HMRC and is advised to seek legal representation regarding the frozen funds.
    5. Activism against adult games is influencing payment provider policies, while new regulations may complicate purchases for legal-age gamers.

    Recently, payment processors have been compelling gaming platforms to remove titles that contain adult-themed content. This has left some developers of these Steam games in serious financial difficulties. One programmer is in urgent need of assistance after PayPal started holding back £80,000 of their earnings.

    Seeking Help

    According to TheGamer, Fit-Commercial-5681 reached out to users on the Legal Advice UK subreddit for advice. After noticing that the funds were frozen, the programmer contacted PayPal for clarification. During this exchange, the payment processor requested a link to the relevant Steam game. Once they confirmed that the game included mature content, they decided not to release the funds.

    Payment Policy Issues

    PayPal’s service terms explicitly prohibit transactions related to products containing adult content. Nonetheless, Fit-Commercial-5681 contends that the withheld funds don’t come directly from game sales. Instead, PayPal is being utilized by the developer’s company to reimburse the programmer. The poster insists that the game complies with UK laws and centers around “cheating in relationships.”

    Legal Concerns

    Compounding the issue, Fit-Commercial-5681 has significant debts owed to HMRC, the UK’s tax authority. Several members from the legal advice forum indicated that PayPal likely cannot hold onto the £80,000 forever. However, they strongly advised the programmer to seek legal representation without delay.

    Although PayPal may seem like a questionable choice, the programmer had explored all other possibilities. Very few payment processors are willing to work with anyone linked to adult-themed games, films, or artworks. This is a challenge Valve is currently facing as Steam users in most countries are now unable to utilize PayPal.

    Activism and Regulation

    A number of gamers have pointed fingers at the Australian organization Collective Shout for pressuring payment providers. This group campaigns against games that portray the mistreatment of women and girls. Critics, however, argue that adult games are being banned based on the moral standards of one group rather than for any actual glorification of criminal acts.

    In the UK, developers and publishers are now confronted with an additional hurdle due to the new Online Safety Act. While its goal is to protect minors, it may cause gamers of legal age to feel hesitant about providing personal information when making purchases.

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    PayPal Freezes £80,000 from Adult Steam Game Amid Crackdown

     

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  • Mandatory Age Verification Required for Xbox Accounts in the UK

    Mandatory Age Verification Required for Xbox Accounts in the UK

    Key Takeaways

    1. Microsoft will begin age verification for Xbox accounts in the UK to comply with the Online Safety Act effective July 25, 2025.
    2. Users aged 18 and older will receive prompts to verify their age using methods like government ID or credit card checks.
    3. Microsoft partnered with Yoti for identity verification, but players can still access games without verification until early 2026, when social features will require it.
    4. There are concerns about privacy risks and sensitive information sharing related to the new regulations, with opposition from groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
    5. Some users are finding workarounds to bypass the verification process, leading to increased VPN usage.

    Microsoft has revealed that it will start the age verification process for Xbox accounts in the UK to follow the Online Safety Act, which became effective on July 25, 2025.

    New Regulations for Online Platforms

    This law mandates that social media and entertainment companies must set up a user verification system that stops children from accessing harmful or inappropriate content meant for older audiences. Numerous adult websites and platforms like Reddit are already implementing these verification methods to adhere to the new regulations.

    Notification for Players

    As of today, players who state their account age as 18 or older, are located in the UK, and log into an Xbox experience using a Microsoft account will start receiving messages prompting them to verify their age. Microsoft claims that this will be a “one-time process.” Players can confirm their identity through a government-issued ID, credit card checks, age estimation, or checks from their mobile providers.

    Partnership with Yoti

    According to The Verge, Microsoft has teamed up with Yoti, a UK company that specializes in identity verification. Players who opt not to verify their age can still enjoy games on their Xbox accounts. However, starting in early 2026, age verification will be required to access social features on their accounts, such as voice or text chat and game invites.

    Microsoft strongly urges players in the UK to “verify their age via this one-time process now to avoid interruptions in their use of social features on Xbox.”

    Alternative Solutions and Concerns

    Interestingly, there are already some smart ways to get around this process, like using the photo mode in Death Stranding 2 to skip the verification. The new law has also led to a rise in VPN usage across the country.

    This legislation has ignited a huge discussion about the potential risks to privacy and the need to share sensitive information. Various non-profit groups, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, have voiced their opposition to the bill.

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  • Reddit Requires Selfie or ID for Mature Content Access in UK

    Reddit Requires Selfie or ID for Mature Content Access in UK

    Key Takeaways

    1. Reddit will implement an age verification system in the UK to comply with the Online Safety Act, requiring users to upload a selfie or ID for access to certain mature content.

    2. The verification process will be handled by a third-party service called Persona, which will not have access to users’ uploaded photos, only storing verification status and birthdates.

    3. Reddit may expand age verification to other regions in the future and is introducing a voluntary option for users to provide their birthdates globally for content and ad appropriateness.

    4. User reactions to the announcement are mixed, with concerns about unclear definitions of restricted content and potential negative consequences, such as pushing minors to less safe websites.

    5. The Online Safety Act has faced criticism from organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation for potentially creating a more censored internet and compromising user privacy and security.

    Reddit has shared that it will start using an age verification system in the UK. This will require users to upload a selfie or a government-issued identification card if they want to access “certain mature content.”

    Compliance with Online Safety Act

    The information was released on r/RedditSafety, stating that this step is necessary to follow the UK’s Online Safety Act, which must be in place by July 25. The law is intended to protect children from sensitive content and requires social media platforms and search engines to adopt a verification method for “user safety.”

    Third-Party Verification

    Reddit plans to work with a third-party service, Persona, for verifying identities. They mention that they “will not have access to the uploaded photo.” The platform will only keep your “verification status and the birthdate you provided so you won’t need to enter it again each time you want to see restricted content.”

    Persona, an identity verification company established in 2018 and based in the US, claims it will not keep your photo for more than seven days. It also states that it won’t “have access to your Reddit data such as the subreddits you visit.”

    Future Age Verification Plans

    Reddit also recognizes that as new regulations emerge, they might need “to collect and/or verify age in areas outside of the UK.”

    Additionally, the platform is launching a global option for users to provide their birthdates “to help make sure that content and ads are age-appropriate.” This option will be completely voluntary and only required in countries that need it.

    Community Opinions

    The announcement sparked mixed reactions among Reddit users, with many noting that the description of “restricted content for minor users” was unclear. One user remarked, “On Reddit, a few swear words on your account will eventually get your account flagged as NSFW. Will I need to verify to see your profile due to some profanity? Will all your posts and comments be hidden from me? Who knows.”

    Others agreed that this whole situation was “just a mess” and would “have the opposite effect of its intent,” pushing “children to visit more sketchy websites that don’t follow this ruling.” Plus, VPNs exist.

    Interestingly, Persona is a US company operating outside the EU, meaning they aren’t technically subject to the law, at least not until the Kids Online Safety Act is passed in the US.

    Criticism of Online Safety Act

    Numerous organizations have already criticized the flaws in the Online Safety Act. The Electronic Frontier Foundation warns that this legislation “will create a more censored, restricted internet for British users” and will give the government the power “to undermine the privacy and security of UK residents as well as internet users around the world.”

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