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Discussions Rules and Guidelines
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Yes, it was lazy of Valve to only implement one system.
The more cynical would say it was deliberate. If they introduced facial recognition or something, the gamers would be up in arms about it. But if they implement a system that isn't very comprehensive, then they get gamers actually requesting other methods like facial recognition.
Anyway, Valve are listening, but it all comes down to money. If they lose a load of money using this system then they will implement another. And they may well tweak the system they have so that it works better.
One way or another, I am sure things will change.
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/age-assurance?url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/online-pornography
I was 16 when Asteroids came out and I owned an original Pong games machine in my early teens.
Ask that prick Stazi Starmer to do the maths for you as to how old I am.
I am one of the 37% who doesn't or can't own a credit card because I AM NOT SOME RICH TW@ that's socially disconnected from reality. I don't even have a passport because I can't afford to travel.
I exist on a very small pension and in retirement, gaming, after many years of hard work and not having time, is my winter and time out pleasure.
My account is over sixteen years old and I didn't open it the second I was born. Any form of common sense would indicate that I am an adult and any account of a certain age should be exempt from this nonsense unless Valve thinks I opened an account here and started playing counter strike source when I was two weeks old.
Ofcom are the ones who require a credit card.
1) Age assurance methods – which include age verification, age estimation or a combination of both – must be ‘highly effective’ at correctly determining whether a particular user is a child.
2) They include: open banking, photo ID matching, facial age estimation, mobile network operator age checks, credit card checks, digital identity services and email-based age estimation;
Zero about the age of an account.
I could claim i am 65 years old.
Or you bought an account.
Yeah, but that will just end with them removing the verification option.
Yeah, but the courts will make that decision, not Ofcom. The underlying point is that 'not offering any age verification' is still an option.
The system may be discriminatory toward people who don't have a credit card. Trick is, not all discrimination is illegal. After all, things costing money is discrimination against poor people. Somehow I don't think that argument is going to go anywhere.
And while the UK has anti-discrimination laws, those laws define who's protected, and what kinds of discrimination are illegal. Not having a credit card isn't likely to be a protected class. Some people who don't have one, could get one. Choosing not to get one and complaining isn't discrimination. You might as well claim that refusing to upgrade your system, and not meeting system requirements for newer games is discrimination. "I don't wanna" may not be a very strong legal argument.
As for people who can't get a credit card, Valve is not responsible for that. They're also not responsible for the UK law or the fact credit cards are an approved method of age verification. And trying to argue requiring a credit card is illegal doesn't take into account Valve could just not offer any age verification methods and exclude all UK users. Trying to invalidate something that doesn't immediately accommodate you may not force other options. It might result in no options. German users could tell you all about that.
Fortunately, people trying to shoot credit cards in the foot aren't likely to succeed, they're clueless and deluded.
That's nice. But account age has no correlation to YOUR age. Ofcom doesn't care about your account age. They care about YOUR age.
For all anyone knows, you stole the account off of someone else, or you bought it, or you were given it by someone else. While all of these are against Valve's rules, they are also solid enough reasons for account age not to be factored. And if your account age was a determining factor, then it being less than 18 years means you'd still be barred from the content.
So, once again, if you don't like it, complain to your local MP.
People who cannot get a credit card aren't a protected category of people. As such, no, it is not discrimination.
I'm surprised the religious side doesn't come in here... I think it is true that Jews and Muslims are not allowed to engage in any activity involving lending or borrowing money where interest is involved. So they can't use a credit card.