Valve has expanded the age verification methods for Steam in Australia. Accounts that have been registered for at least nine years and have consistently used the same email address or billing information can now be automatically verified by the system, allowing users to view store pages for games rated R18+ in the region.
Valve implemented these restrictions in September 2026 in accordance with Australia's Online Safety Act. Previously, users could only verify their age by linking a supported credit card, as debit cards and standard bank cards were not accepted for verification.
The Reserve Bank of Australia estimates that credit cards accounted for only 23% of transactions in the country in 2025. The reliance on a single verification method has drawn criticism from local Steam users, with related issues being raised to the Australian Senate and the eSafety Commissioner.
Valve stated that the company aims to limit the collection and retention of sensitive data, does not sell ads or user profiles, and is researching other verification methods that balance compliance with privacy. PlayStation and Xbox currently offer facial age estimation and government ID checks performed by third-party provider Yoti in Australia, with Xbox also supporting credit card or email verification.
This update only adds automatic verification criteria for accounts; it does not remove the age verification requirement for all users. Those who do not meet the account age and information consistency criteria must still complete verification through other applicable methods.