Valve's response to the online safety act with credit card verification was quite obviously rushed and last minute likely due to an email from Ofcom threatening fines.

Valve's decision to exclusively use credit cards was picking the least privacy invasive form of age verification even though in the UK among adults aged 18-34 which tend to be the average age of Steam users, 47% do not have a credit card as people in the UK tend to like spending money they have with debit cards.

Valve had multiple options such as open banking verification, linking PayPal which you need to be 18 in the UK to open, mobile verification where your mobile network confirms with Valve you are over 18.

But the main issue I have with this is the discriminatory aspect if Valve do not add new forms of verification which Valve could be breaking the law. Disabled people in the UK who cannot work due to their health are highly unlikely to get a credit card due to lack of credit and if Valve continues with this only form of age verification they could be violating the reasonable adjustment clause of the Equality Act 2010 which requires service providers like Valve to avoid putting a disadvantage on disabled people.

I urge people in the UK to keep speaking up against this I ask indie developers in the UK to speak out as well and put pressure on Valve to add other forms of verification as this will damage sales and potentially make indie devs from the UK not consider putting their game on Steam if the audience is restricted.