Skip to main content

If you're not at least 13 years old, Steam asks you not sign up for its service

If you’re under the age of 13, you better get off Steam.

Developer Valve has quietly updated its Steam Subscriber Agreement mandating that users be 13 years old before signing up.

Recommended Videos

Steam is Valve’s online video game distribution platform. It is a way for publishers and independent developers to sell PC games online via digital download. Last year the company announced that it had more than 125 million active users with an 8.9-million concurrent peak. Steam, unequivocally, has the largest community of PC gamers under its umbrella.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Now it seems Steam is trying to put up a barrier for people who may be too young for the platform. Thanks to internet archives, comparisons can be made comparing the agreement before and after. Before, the agreement stated: “you become a subscriber of Steam (“Subscriber”) by completing the registration of a Steam user account. This Agreement takes effect as soon as you indicate your acceptance of these terms.” Now it has an added clause stating, “you may not become a subscriber if you are under the age of 13. Steam is not intended for children under 13 and Valve will not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13.”

There is speculation why Valve abruptly added the new clause to its Steam Subscriber Agreement. The company could be trying to avoid a regulatory fine. Under the Federal Trade Commission’s Children Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), it “imposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13 years of age, and on operators of other websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information online from a child under 13 years of age.” Recently, several of toy companies were fined for tracking online activity for children under the age of 13 online.

Imad Khan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Imad has been a gamer all his life. He started blogging about games in college and quickly started moving up to various…
Happy birthday, Steam Deck: console and PC gamers debate its first year
Factorio running on a Steam Deck.

As the Steam Deck’s one-year anniversary approached, I found myself itching to write a reflection on my past 12 months with it. Though I love the gaming device and use it as much as my Nintendo Switch, I initially found my feelings skewing more negative than I expected. Part of that may have been a little reactionary, as I’ve developed a pet peeve in the past year: hearing people who work in games tout it as a “life-changing” device. Sure, it’s life-changing for anyone whose job hinges on having easy access to games, but some of the Steam Deck’s more frustrating quirks make it harder to recommend to a casual player.

My perspective changed when I chatted with Jacob Roach. Digital Trends’ Computing senior staff  writer. As a PC gamer, his read on the system was entirely different from mine, focusing on game-changing features that I haven’t gotten much use out of. What became clear from that conversation is that the Steam Deck is a very different device depending on whether you’re coming at it from a PC or console background.

Read more
Valve is testing a new Big Picture Mode for Steam. Here’s how to try it
A picture of the Steam Deck

Valve has announced that it is running a beta test for an updated version of Big Picture Mode for the desktop version of Steam. According to a blog post published on Thursday, the proprietary UI is being updated to make the desktop interface look like the Steam Deck.

The updated version of Big Picture Mode comes with a host of new features, including a new home screen that lets you continue playing recent games and check for updates of any games in your library with a new universal search that nets results from your library, your friends list, and the store. It also brings updates to quick access, controller configuration, and system menus.

Read more
You can now order Steam Deck without a reservation
A picture of the Steam Deck

The wait to get your Steam Deck is finally over. Valve has announced that starting today, you will now be able to order the 64 GB version of the Steam Deck without making any reservations whatsoever.

The company delivered the big news in a blog post, saying that you can place your order for the portable gaming PC and it will ship it right to you. Of course, you have to wait for a minimum of one to two weeks for the system to be delivered to you.

Read more