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Dimensional13 3 Sep @ 2:01pm
If age verification for U.K. users is here to stay, then why not for germany?
Steam blocked the access to NSFW and adult-content containing games' shop sites in Germany nearly 5 years ago (at least those that haven't been ESRB and USK-Rated, looking at you BG3 and your freely accessible shop page, even with your sex scenes). The issue was, from what I could gather, the screenshots associated with these adult games; the games never were illegal to buy or own after all, but the lack of a "proper" age verification system resulted in the German agency for minor protection acting up and raising a stink.

So, Valve decided to simply hide the shop pages for these games in Germany. Not just the screenshots, the ENTIRE shop pages. Completely overkill and lazy. It's however worth noting that this adult content block isn't the same that they have implemented for the Chinese market. In China, you aren't even allowed to own NSFW games in your steam library. In Germany, if you gain access to these games through other means however, like a steam key, or if a foreign friend gifts them to you, then you are allowed to own these games. So, we got a little bit of a workaround here. They're not punishing OWNERSHIP, unlike China. However, his workaround is not a particularly accessible or easy one.

It's now 2025, and the UK implements a law that requires adult content to be put behind "proper" age verification; the same kinds of age verification that Germany's minor protection agency would've wanted. And what does Valve do? They... actually implement it. First, through having a credit card registered to your account. OK. And steam support is saying they're looking into more methods. Alright. Awful for the Steam users in the U.K., but hey, now it's only a matter of time before everyone in Germany can get a way to regain access to NSFW games on Steam, no? It's the logical conclusion!

But guess what? They ONLY implement this age verification system for the U.K., from what it looks like. For some weird reason, Germany, which had a similar political problem to the U.K.'s for years, and now had a semi-"solution" on the horizon, has just been ignored. The games's pages are still completely blocked, with no way of verifying age in sight. And the most confusing part? Germany has a larger population than the U.K., and by extension a larger market of potential buyers, so blocking off such a large market while they bend over backwards for the legal requirements to stay semi-accessible in the smaller one doesn't make ANY sense.

Either way, long story short, my proposal is for Valve to please add a way for German users to verify their age now, if they intend to keep this age verification system in place, and/or intend to add more ways. Obviously there's now a way for them to do it, so why are they still dragging their heels? This is very very confusing to me and I do not understand it.
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eram 3 Sep @ 2:05pm 
It's up to Germany to add it
#1
Tito Shivan 3 Sep @ 2:31pm 
Why? Because Germany decided to do things ' Ze german way'. Giving Steam the only option to integrate the german goverment sanctioned ID verification system.

Meanwhile UK meant business. They offered an array of options one of which was through payment processors who Steam already have streamlined into their platform.
#2
nullable 3 Sep @ 7:30pm 
Originally posted by Dimensional13:
If age verification for U.K. users is here to stay, then why not for germany?

Different laws and different requirements. Valve already deals with credit cards, so that's not as much of as an ask a more involved, complicated, has to be implemented from scratch verification system like what Germany wants.

Is this not obvious to you?
#3
Martin 4 Sep @ 1:01am 
I am quite glad I can't see porn games on steam.
#4
eram 4 Sep @ 2:40am 
Originally posted by Martin:
I am quite glad I can't see porn games on steam.
by default they are already blocked, you have to manually unblock them from the steam settings.
#5
Doctor Zalgo 4 Sep @ 4:12am 
Originally posted by Tito Shivan:
Why? Because Germany decided to do things ' Ze german way'. Giving Steam the only option to integrate the german goverment sanctioned ID verification system.

Meanwhile UK meant business. They offered an array of options one of which was through payment processors who Steam already have streamlined into their platform.

Actually, the right way would be mandating a specific solution and actually making it easy to use (i.e. a single API call).

Credit cards are 'theatre' that don't actually prove anything at all beyond you have access to a credit card.
#6
Pocahawtness 4 Sep @ 4:15am 
I believe the EU is about to come out with something.
#7
Tito Shivan 4 Sep @ 6:38am 
Originally posted by Doctor Zalgo:
Actually, the right way would be mandating a specific solution and actually making it easy to use (i.e. a single API call).
But there's no such thing as a 'one-size-fits-all ID-verification API'. Every country is going to have their own API with their own peculiarities and requisites.

And Steam clearly doesn't want to develop and maintain two dozen integrations with different APIs... And they already know how to talk with payment providers APIs.
#8
Yasahi 4 Sep @ 8:12am 
Originally posted by Pocahawtness:
I believe the EU is about to come out with something.

It is indeed. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-age-verification

Way better than what the Brits came up with. Should also fix the issue Germans are having.
#9
Macro 4 Sep @ 9:01am 
Originally posted by Tito Shivan:
Originally posted by Doctor Zalgo:
Actually, the right way would be mandating a specific solution and actually making it easy to use (i.e. a single API call).
But there's no such thing as a 'one-size-fits-all ID-verification API'. Every country is going to have their own API with their own peculiarities and requisites.

And Steam clearly doesn't want to develop and maintain two dozen integrations with different APIs... And they already know how to talk with payment providers APIs.


Actually, such APIs already exist in many countries they’re just not unified into a single global standard. In Germany, for example, there’s PostIdent, VideoIdent, and the eID function of the national ID card; in Austria, ID‑Austria; and across the EU, the eIDAS framework is meant to make these systems interoperable. Banks, telecoms, and insurance companies already use them successfully, so the technology is hardly experimental.

The real issue isn’t that a “one‑size‑fits‑all” API is impossible — it’s that platforms like Steam don’t want to invest in integrating multiple national solutions. Yes, each country’s API has its own quirks and legal requirements, but that’s exactly the kind of engineering challenge large global companies routinely solve in other areas. Instead, they fall back on payment provider APIs because they already have those connections in place, even though payment data is also not always a legally sufficient proof of age or identity.

So it’s less about technical feasibility and more about priorities: if regulators required it, or if the business case was strong enough, Steam could absolutely build and maintain those integrations just like other industries already do.


Austria and Germany already have secure, government‑backed digital age verification systems.
In Austria, the official eAusweise app with ID Austria lets users prove they are over 18 without revealing their full date of birth or name. Verification works via NFC, QR code, or Bluetooth even offline and is fully privacy‑friendly.

In Germany, the Youth Protection Act (§14a JuSchG) now requires all digital game platforms to display official age ratings. Steam is already cooperating with the Federal Agency for the Protection of Children and Youth in the Media (BzKJ) to ensure that, from 15 November 2024, every game visible in Germany has a valid USK rating or Steam‑generated age label.

Technically, Steam could integrate both countries’ official systems just like any other login or payment method. This would allow accurate, official age checks while protecting user privacy far more reliable than the current “enter your birth date” pop‑up.
Last edited by Macro; 4 Sep @ 9:13am
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All Discussions > Steam Forums > Suggestions / Ideas > Topic Details
Date Posted: 3 Sep @ 2:01pm
Posts: 10
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