Payment firms like Visa, Mastercard, and Stripe are facing criticism, including from billionaire Elon Musk, for pressuring digital gaming platforms to remove numerous games following a campaign by an Australian anti-pornography advocacy group.
Itch.io, an independent gaming marketplace, recently withdrew all adult or not-safe-for-work (NSFW) games from its catalog in a rushed effort to avoid payment restrictions across its entire platform.
The company stated that it complied with payment providers’ demands to "ensure we can continue functioning and offering a space for all developers."
This action followed an open letter by Collective Shout, an Australian organization opposing the sexualization of women and girls. On July 14, the group urged payment providers to stop servicing gaming platforms Steam and Itch.io, alleging that hundreds of games featured content involving rape, sexual violence, and incest.
Itch.io’s rapid response led to the removal of not only the contested games but all adult NSFW content from visibility and search results—at least temporarily. Some games were erased entirely.
"This was a critical moment for itch.io. The issue escalated quickly, and we needed to act immediately to safeguard the platform's payment system," the company explained.
"Regrettably, giving creators prior notice wasn’t feasible. We recognize this isn’t ideal and apologize for the suddenness of the decision."
Some users claimed they could not access games they had purchased once they were taken down, though Itch.io disputed this.
Collective Shout, a small but active advocacy group, has long pushed for mandatory internet filters to block adult content in Australia. Its director, Melinda Tankard Reist, recently joined the government’s advisory board for age verification trials ahead of the under-16 social media ban set for December.
The group frequently targets campaigns at lingerie advertisements and video games in Australia. While it recently urged Elon Musk’s X to prohibit adult content, its latest effort against gaming platforms has drawn international attention.
Within two weeks of sending letters to payment providers like PayPal, Mastercard, and Visa, Itch.io and Steam adjusted their policies. Steam, with an estimated 132 million monthly users, removed hundreds of games due to payment processor pressure earlier this month.
Tankard Reist reported receiving "abuse, harassment, rape, and death threats" since the campaign began, which her team is documenting for authorities.
By Monday, a Change.org petition urging payment providers to reconsider had surpassed 50,000 signatures.
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