Itch.io is removing NSFW games to comply with payment processors' rules
The website explained that it recently came under the scrutiny of its payment processors after an organization called Collective Shout launched a campaign against Steam and itch.io. Collective Shout, which describes itself as an Australian grassroots campaigning movement, directed its concerns to the gaming marketplaces' payment processors. It originally focused its campaign around the game No Mercy that revolves around a character engaging in rape and sexual violence. Both itch.io and Steam removed the game back in April. In its open letter to payment processors published earlier this month, however, the group said it "discovered hundreds of other games featuring rape, incest and child sexual abuse" on Steam and itch.io since then.
Steam already banned "content that may violate the rules and standards set forth" by its payment processors, which mostly affected adult games. Now, itch.io is also clearly heading that way. At the moment, the website is doing a comprehensive audit of its content and will keep adult games delisted until it's done. After it's finished, it will introduce new compliance measures and will require creators of adult games to confirm that their titles are allowed under the rules of the payment processors linked to their account.
Itch.io admitted that some games will be permanently removed from its marketplace as part of its review and the new policy it will put in place, but it said its "ability to process payments is critical for every creator" on its platform. "To ensure that we can continue to operate and provide a marketplace for all developers, we must prioritize our relationship with our payment partners and take immediate steps towards compliance," the website said in its announcement.
Although No Mercy's removal from gaming websites is understandably celebrated by a lot of people, users are concerned about the potential effects of marketplaces adopting anti-porn rules. Queer content, for instance, is disproportionately affected by censorship measures and could be tagged as "adult" or "NSFW" even when it doesn't contain anything sexual.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TechCrunch
42 minutes ago
- TechCrunch
Itch.io is the latest marketplace to crack down on adult games
Indie video game marketplace announced this week that it has 'deindexed' adult and not-safe-for-work games, removing them from its browse and search pages. The move, the company said, was in response to a campaign by Collective Shout (an advocacy group that has previously criticized video games, rap music, and lingerie commercials) targeting both and Steam for selling 'No Mercy,' a game that depicts rape and incest. In an open letter addressed to executives at PayPal, Mastercard, Visa, and other payment processors, Collective Shout said that games 'endorsing men's sexualised abuse and torture of women and girls fly in the face of efforts to address violence against women.' 'We do not see how facilitating payment transactions and deriving financial benefit from these violent and unethical games, is consistent with your corporate values and mission statements,' the organization added. The campaign appears to have worked, with Steam saying earlier this month that it would ban games that 'may violate the rules and standards set forth by Steam's payment processors and related card networks and banks, or internet network providers.' Similarly, said, 'To ensure that we can continue to operate and provide a marketplace for all developers, we must prioritize our relationship with our payment partners and take immediate steps towards compliance.' It also said that 'No Mercy' had been 'temporarily available on before being banned back in April,' and that 'the situation developed rapidly,' forcing the company to 'act urgently to protect the platform's core payment infrastructure,' without providing advanced notice to creators. Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW The company said it's now conducting a 'comprehensive audit' to ensure that games available on the marketplace meet 'the requirements of our payment processors,' with adult content remaining deindexed until the audit is complete. After the audit, said NSFW game creators will be required to confirm that their content is allowed under the policies of their payment processors linked to their account. On social media, users criticizing decision noted that its current terms declare that adult content violations are 'permanent with no chance of appeal' and that any funds in an offending account 'will not be eligible for payout' — or as one developer put it, 'If you violate the rules, we take all your money. Not just the money from that work, ALL your money from EVERYTHING you've ever made.' This is far from the first time that payment companies appear to have pressured online platforms over adult content — for example, last year Gumroad pointed to restrictions from payment processors when it implemented stricter rules around NSFW art, and OnlyFans also blamed 'banking partners and payment providers' when it banned explicit content (a decision that it subsequently reversed). A petition with more than 137,000 verified signatures criticizes Mastercard and Visa for their role in these types of decisions. Among other things, the petition demands that the payment companies 'stop censoring legal fictional content that complies with the law and platform standards' and 'reject influence from activist groups that promote moral panic or misrepresent fiction as harm.'
Engadget
2 hours ago
- Engadget
Steam is testing out a redesigned storefront that makes it easier to find games you'll like
As if we needed more ways to grow our Steam libraries with games we'll never finish or even play. Now, Steam is experimenting with a redesigned storefront menu as part of its latest beta update to help sell more games. Instead of being overwhelmed with text links and cluttered menu buttons in the current version, Steam's store page remodel combines everything into a more polished and organized menu at the top. In its blog post, Steam said that the redesign is supposed to "provide easier access to the places Steam users most frequently visit." At the top, the new browse feature lets you get right into digging through games, based on options like top sellers, new releases or discounts. Next to browse, the recommendations button lets you explore what Steam thinks you'll like, based on other games in your library, your games' playtimes or even community recommendations. To get a more tailored feel, the categories menu button will give you a look at your top genres and offer some suggested tags to find similar games. Steam also revamped the store's search function to show the most popular searches, your recently viewed games, and top genres. There's even a button for advanced search for users who want to sort through games with specific filters and tags. None of these features are new, but Steam's new look makes it easier to get to the most useful parts of the store page. "With these changes, we're aiming to make your experience smoother and more tailored to your needs," Steam wrote in its blog post. "We've been hearing from players, and experiencing ourselves, that some of the most commonly visited areas of Steam were hard to get to." We may be getting improved search functionality with Steam's storefront, but it comes amid frustrations over Steam's recent policy change. Earlier this month, Steam delisted tons of titles with adult or NSFW content to appease its popular payment processors, like Visa and Mastercard, leading to criticism of setting a worrying precedent of censorship. For now, the store page redesign is still part of the Steam Client Beta, where you can submit feedback to help shape the final look.
New York Post
10 hours ago
- New York Post
Spice Girl Melanie C stuns on romantic island getaway with Australian model boyfriend
Spice Girl Melanie C – aka Sporty Spice – looks as fit as ever in these candid new vacation photos. The 90s pop legend, 51, escaped to the island of Mallorca for a romantic getaway with her partner, Australian actor and model Chris Dingwall. Advertisement The loved-up pair each shared a carousel of photos from the vacation on Instagram, with Melanie looking absolutely ripped in a tiny two-piece black bikini – and in another snap, relaxing on a boat while reading a book about the history of ecstasy use in dance music. 4 Spice Girl Melanie C shared photos from her romantic vacation with model Chris Dingwall. @melaniecmusic / Instagram Fans and friends were full of praise for the star in the comments section. 'Seeing Melanie look this healthy and happy melts my heart,' one longtime fan wrote. Advertisement 'Gorgeous to see you so happy and relaxed,' wrote UK broadcaster Kate Thornton. 'You're both so cute together. Love seeing you enjoying moments of love,' another fan gushed. 4 The pop singer captioned her Instagram carousel 'a slice of paradise.' @melaniecmusic / Instagram Dingwall is originally from Sydney but travels the world as a model signed to Ford Models and Chadwick. Advertisement The pair went public at Wimbledon in London last July, days after they were spotted walking hand-in-hand at the iconic Glastonbury festival. But they had been quietly dating for months before that: Melanie's frequent visits to our shores earlier in 2024, ostensibly for DJing gigs, also doubled as quality time with Dingwall as the pair shared romantic getaways in resorts across Brisbane, Byron Bay and the Whitsundays. 4 The 90s pop icon showed off her toned body in the photos. @melaniecmusic / Instagram Since those early days the pair have become more open about their relationship, with Melanie C even professing her 'love' for Dingwall on social media in January after he wished her a happy 51st birthday. Advertisement Furthering her Aussie connection, Melanie C will soon appear as one of the celeb coaches on the next season of Seven's music contest The Voice alongside Ronan Keating, Richard Marx and Kate Miller-Heidke. She was based in Bondi while she lived here to film the season, and also made a surprise appearance at a Sydney gay club in April, filming scenes for a new music video. 4 The couple first went public in July 2024. @melaniecmusic / Instagram Melanie C is undoubtedly the most private of the five Spice Girls when it comes to her love life, largely keeping her relationships out of the public eye since a string of romances with high-profile musicians. She has a teenage daughter from a longtime relationship with ex-partner Thomas Starr. The pair split in 2012 after a decade together. After that, Melanie dated her manager, Joe Marshall, for seven years before they split in 2022.
