Furore erupted a few months back when Valve confirmed that payment processors, citing Mastercard regulations, pressured it to discontinue multiple adult games. This led to a surge of complaints from Steam users and petitions demanding government intervention.

Recently, a petition on the UK Parliament’s site gathered over 10,000 signatures, prompting an official response. The government stated:

“Payment processors are able to choose who they process payments for, subject to any relevant requirements. The Government has no plans to intervene in those commercial decisions.”

However, this response has led many to question the government’s commitment to consumer rights, especially regarding the accessibility of adult content. Critics have pointed out the inconsistency as the UK government had previously enacted the Online Safety Act to regulate access to adult materials.

In conclusion, the government indicated that it sees this as a matter for the free market, stating, “Decisions regarding which businesses payment processors contract with are commercial matters.”

For those advocating for more transparency and accessible adult content on gaming platforms, the hope remains that a potential future discussion in Parliament could spark some necessary changes.