Visa and Mastercard pressured Steam and Itch.io to remove numerous adult video games, resulting in Itch.io deindexing its NSFW library. The move was necessary to maintain operational functionality amidst potential disruption to payment processing. Steam also removed multiple titles in response. This ultimatum followed an open letter from the anti-pornography group Collective Shout, which condemned adult content following concerns about a specific game's themes of sexual violence. Critics argue that such actions could lead to increased censorship over entertainment content.
A set of payment processors, including Visa and Mastercard, forced video game marketplaces to remove thousands of adult video games from their storefronts due to pressure from an anti-pornography group.
Itch.io was forced to 'deindex' its entire NSFW library, stating it was vital to ensure operational capabilities and maintain a marketplace for developers.
Visa and Mastercard’s ultimatum was met with backlash, with critics arguing that this leads to payment processors controlling content consumption, affecting freedom of expression.
Collective Shout, an anti-pornography group, exerted pressure on Visa and Mastercard, highlighting a game with themes of rape and sexual assault to justify its demands.
Collection
[
|
...
]