Australian anti-porn group claims responsibility for Steams new censorship rules

News media and censorship coverage

• Commenters note that earlier in-depth reporting on the Steam/payment-processor story was removed by its publisher, seen as emblematic of the shift from journalism to hedge-fund-driven “content farms.”
• Debate over whether any “independent” news orgs genuinely exist, with examples offered (nonprofits, state broadcasters, trust-owned outlets) and skepticism especially toward state-owned media’s neutrality.

Game violence vs sexual content

• Users find it odd that ultra-violent games like GTA are tolerated while some sexual/rape‑themed titles are targeted, calling this “puritan morality”: violence OK, explicit sex not.
• Historical moral panics over GTA, DOOM, Mortal Kombat are recalled; some thought that era had passed.

Anglosphere and Australian censorship tradition

• Several posts argue the US is actually following censorship paths pioneered by the UK and Australia.
• Australians describe a long history of strict control over films, games, books, and now online content, but also that the internet largely undermined these efforts.

Payment processors as de facto regulators

• Central concern: Visa/Mastercard and acquirers are using brand/reputation rules to effectively ban legal but “objectionable” content (porn, extreme themes) without legislation.
• Many see this as extrajudicial censorship and argue for regulation making processors “must‑process” except for clearly illegal or fraud‑related activity.
• Others reply that governments like having this lever and are unlikely to remove it.

Cryptocurrency and alternative rails

• Disagreement over whether crypto has “failed”:
  • Critics say almost nobody uses it for everyday purchases and it’s too complex/hostile for normal users.
  • Defenders cite porn platforms and censorship‑resistant use cases (adult work, privacy, repressive countries) as proof it’s still valuable.
• Concerns that states will co‑opt or heavily regulate crypto; comparisons drawn to drugs—never eradicated, but usage can be made hard and risky.

Jurisdiction and user identity

• One side proposes global standards to identify user residence and applicable laws to simplify compliance.
• Others strongly oppose this, arguing the ability to route around local censorship (by hiding or spoofing location) is crucial freedom.

Free speech, pornography, and morality

• Some commenters support the Steam bans, viewing pornography—especially extreme or incest/rape‑themed content—as an affront to human dignity that shouldn’t be protected like speech.
• Opponents argue this is precisely why censorship must not be outsourced to private chokepoints: today it’s porn games, tomorrow it could be political or religious content.
• There is specific debate over where to draw lines: fictional incest/rape games, consensual but “extreme” porn, cousin/step relationships, and whether virtual depictions should be treated like real harm.

Data privacy and transaction histories

• One theory: card networks don’t want highly sensitive purchases on statements because they profit from selling transaction data, and more embarrassing entries might push people to block that.
• Others doubt this is a major driver and instead point to activist pressure and brand‑risk concerns.

Power and scope of activist groups

• Collective Shout is seen by some as a small but loud religiously motivated group punching above its weight via global payment leverage.
• Some think Valve is using them as cover for its own image clean‑up; others insist Valve explicitly blamed card processors.
• Several foresee that each “success” will embolden similar campaigns, potentially extending beyond porn into broader content control.