Major payment processors like Visa, Mastercard, and Stripe are facing backlash for pressuring online gaming platforms to remove hundreds of games due to a campaign by an Australian anti-porn lobby group. Itch.io, an independent gaming platform, recently removed all adult or not-safe-for-work content from its library at the behest of payment providers “to ensure continued operation and provide a marketplace for all developers”.
The move came after Collective Shout, an Australian-based group that fights the sexualization of women and girls, called on payment providers to cease services to gaming platforms Steam and Itch.io. The group claims that hundreds of games contain content including rape, sexual violence, and incest.
Itch.io’s swift compliance meant removing not just the claimed content but all NSFW adult content from browsing and search – at least temporarily. Some games were also removed entirely. The company apologized for the abrupt change, citing a need to protect its payment infrastructure.
Some users reported issues with purchased games being unavailable, which Itch.io denied. Collective Shout’s director, Melinda Tankard Reist, received death threats after the campaign launch and is now advocating for mandatory internet filters to prevent access to adult content in Australia.
A Change.org petition calling for payment processors to stop controlling content has garnered over 147,000 signatures. Some critics worry that removing NSFW games will lead to a crackdown on LGBTQ+ content.
Tankard Reist says that banning sexual-based games was not the objective of the campaign and that some games may be restored after Itch.io’s review. Payment processors have the right to determine their services according to their CSR, mission, and values. The incoming Online Safety Act codes in Australia also raise questions about censorship and its effectiveness in preventing harm.
Payment providers Mastercard and Visa were contacted for comment, while Steam did not respond to a request for comment.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/29/mastercard-visa-backlash-adult-games-removed-online-stores-steam-itchio-ntwnfb