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Gamers Bombard Visa & MasterCard With Emails and Calls Over Steam and itch.io Censorship

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  • Maybe you should call and stop pay with their services

    And what do you recommend paying with instead?

  • SKG is privileged western bullshit. It is a way to distract from real issues while feeling like you had an impact on something.

    I just happen to have the foresight to know that 20 years from now it will sound stupid to brag that I helped change some obscure game development process for a tiny bit more convenience.

    This is all absurd and a waste of time, but whatever makes people feel useful I guess.

    What is wrong with that? It's not like actual democracies are a thing. The elites somewhat allow us to decide on "Western bullshit" topics such as killing games, gendered bathrooms, national dishes, and other issues that don't affect their bottom lines. They don't allow us to influence geopolitics. Sure you can yell about freeing Congo, and it should be.. but ehh, if some people care about stop killing games then whatever. Anything positive is something - and I don't even really play video games or care about this thing.

  • Comparing blocking payment to wikileaks and blocking payment for porn video games is absurd. Is nuance dead?

    It's the slowly boiling water, mate. You think governments give a fuck whether some neckbeards play incest video games in their mum's basement? It's about power and expanding the reach of what they can monitor and control. One day it's porn games the next day it's books. It's a tiny step towards a more and more authoritarian world.

  • I'm against the censorship, to be clear, but a David Cage game might not be the best example to use in the future lol

    Why? Because you don't like them?

    It's a perfect example, because there's nothing even close to pornographic in that game. The only possible reason would be because there's a lesbian android couple that runs off together (if you let them).

  • Do you support incest and rape video games being globally banned from sale? I mean, I can kind of get it, its fucked up porn.

    But I don't like the idea of fictional smut, even if of particularly morally questionable type of porn, gets globally banned (as long as its just fictional obviously).

    What people jork their peanits/flick their bean to as long as no one was actually harmed in its production is none of my or your business.

    Obviously, there is also the chilling effect of letting this censorship slide and the anti-democratic nature of payment processors being the ones enforcing this. But I suspect those are unconvincing to you and you are happy this stuff is harder to get now. Am I wrong?

    That's their excuse but they are banning all adult games not just the incest and rape ones.

  • Its adorable you think those are effective tactics.

    Those tactics are literally working this very minute. What tactics would you rather see?

    Wait! Don't reply here, go make a post about it! I promise that will be more effective than continuing what you're doing here.

  • This isn't about porn games. They removed Detroit: Become Human.

    If you think this will stop at porn games, then you're a fool.

  • Here's a list of MasterCard's toll-free phone numbers in various countries: https://www.mastercard.fi/content/dam/public/mastercardcom/na/global-site/documents/global-services-phone-numbers.pdf

    And here's the same for Visa: https://www.visa.fi/content/dam/VCOM/download/personal/security/gcas_general_numbers.pdf

    And the content of that file, in case that they might remove that link:

    Mastercard Global Service™

    Local Toll-Free Telephone Numbers

    • American Samoa 1-1-800-307-7309
    • Japan 00531-11-3886
    • Anguilla 1-800-307-7309
    • Korea, Republic of 0079-811-887-0823
    • Antigua and Barbuda 1-800-307-7309
    • Liechtenstein 0800-89-7092
    • Argentina 0800-555-0507
    • Luxembourg 800-2-4533
    • Australia 1800-120-113
    • Malaysia 1-800-804594
    • Austria 0800-07-06-138
    • Mexico 001-800-307-7309
    • Bahamas 1-800-307-7309
    • Monaco 0-800-90-1387
    • Bahrain 8000-0087
    • Montserrat 1-800-307-7309
    • Barbados 1-800-307-7309
    • Netherlands 0800-022-5821
    • Belgium 0800-1-5096
    • New Zealand 800-441-671
    • Bermuda 1-800-307-7309
    • Norway 800-12697
    • Bolivia 800-10-0172
    • Panama 001-800-307-7309
    • Bonaire 001-800-307-7309
    • Peru 0800-77-476
    • Brazil 0800-891-3294
    • Philippines 1-800-1-111-0061
    • Cambodia 800-881-001 then 877-288-3891*
    • Poland 0-0800-111-1211
    • Canada 1-800-307-7309
    • Portugal 800-8-11-272
    • Cayman Islands 1-800-307-7309
    • Puerto Rico 1-800-307-7309
    • Chile 1230-020-2012
    • The Russia 8-800-555-02-69
    • China 10-800-110-7309**
    • Saba 1-800-307-7309
    • China 2 10-800-711-7309***
    • St. Eustatius 1-800-307-7309
    • Colombia 01-800-912-1303
    • St. Maarten 1-800-307-7309
    • Costa Rica 0-800-011-0184
    • St. Kitts-Nevis 1-800-307-7309
    • Curacao 001-800-307-7309
    • Saipan (N. Marianas) 1-800-307-7309
    • Cyprus 080-90569
    • San Marino 800-870-866
    • Czech Republic 800-142-494
    • Saudi Arabia 800-844-9457
    • Denmark 8001-6098
    • Singapore 800-1100-113
    • Dominica 1-800-307-7309
    • South Africa 0800-990418
    • Dominican Republic 1-800-307-7309
    • Spain 900-822-756
    • Finland 08001-156234
    • Sweden 020-791-324
    • France 0-800-90-1387
    • Switzerland 0800-897-092
    • Germany 0800-071-3542
    • Taiwan 00801-10-3400
    • Greece 00-800-11-887-0303
    • Thailand 001-800-11-887-0663
    • Grenada 1-800-307-7309
    • Trinidad and Tobago 1-800-307-7309
    • Guam 1-800-307-7309
    • Turkey 00-800-13-887-0903
    • Guatemala 1-800-999-1480
    • Turks and Caicos 01-800-307-7309
    • Hong Kong 800-966677
    • United Arab Emirates 800-0444-3895
    • Hungary 06800-12517
    • United Kingdom 0800-96-4767
    • India 000-800-100-1087
    • United States 1-800-307-7309
    • Indonesia 001803-1-887-0623
    • Vatican City State 800-870-866
    • Ireland 1-800-55-7378
    • Venezuela 0800-1-002902
    • Israel 180-941-8873
    • Vietnam 120-11576
    • Italy 800-870-866
    • Virgin Islands, 1-800-307-7309
    • Jamaica 0800-307-7309
    • Virgin Islands, U.S. 1-800-307-7309

    Last Updated 31 January 2019

    The contents of the file for Visa's phone numbers:

    Δ Await second dial tone

    • Anguilla 1-800-847-2911

    • Antigua 1-800-847-2911

    • Argentina 0800-666-0171

    • Aruba 800-1518

    • Australia 1-800-125-440

    • Austria 0 800-200-288Δ800-892-8134

    • Bahamas 1-800-847-2911

    • Bahrain 800-006

    • Barbados 1-800-847-2911

    • Belgium 0800-1-8397

    • Belize 811 or 555Δ800-847-2911

    • Bermuda 1-800-847-2911

    • Bolivia 800-10-0188

    • Bonaire* 001-800-847-2911

    • Brazil 0800-891-3680

    • British Virgin Islands 1-800-847-2911

    • Bulgaria 00-800-0010Δ888-557-4446

    • Cambodia 1-800-881-001Δ888-710-7783

    • Canada 1-800-847-2911

    • Cayman Islands 1-800-847-2911

    • Chile 1230-020-2136

    • Mainland China (South) 10-800-110-2911

    • Mainland China (North) 10-800-711-2911

    • Colombia 01-800-912-5713

    • Costa Rica 0-800-011-0030

    • Croatia 0-800-220-111Δ866-654-0125

    • Curacao* 001-800-847-2911

    • Czech Republic 800-142-121

    • Denmark 80-010277

    • Dominica 1-800-847-2911

    • Dominican Republic 1-800-847-2911

    • Ecuador 1-999-119 or 1-800-225-528Δ800-847-2911

    • Egypt (Cairo only) 2510-0200Δ866-654-0128

    • Egypt (outside Cairo) 02-2510-0200Δ866-654-0128

    • El Salvador 800-6921

    • Estonia 800-12001Δ800-406-9982

    • Finland 0800-11-0057

    • France 0800-90-1179

    • Germany 0800-000-6510

    • Gibraltar 8800-877-3745966

    • Greece 00-800-11-638-0304

    • Grenada 1-800-847-2911

    • Guam 1-800-847-2911

    • Guatemala 1-800-999-0115

    • Guyana 159Δ1-855-477-1390

    • Honduras 800-0123Δ800-847-2911

    • Hong Kong 800-96-7025

    • Hungary 06-800-17682

    • India 000-800-100-1219

    • Indonesia 001-803-1-933-6294

    • Ireland, Republic of 1-800-55-8002

    • Israel 1-80-941-1605

    • Italy 800-819-014

    • Jamaica 0-800-847-2911

    • Japan 00531-11-1555

    • Jordan 1-880-0000Δ888-557-4442

    • Kazakhstan 8 800-121-4321Δ888-557-4447

    • Kenya 866-654-0162

    • Latvia 8000-02288

    • Lebanon 01-426-801Δ866-654-0130

    • Liechtenstein 0800-89-4732

    • Luxembourg 0800-2012

    • Macedonia 0800-94288Δ888-557-4458

    • Malaysia 1800-80-0159

    • Mauritius 01-120Δ866-654-0165

    • Mexico 001-800-847-2911

    • Monaco 0800-90-1179

    • Montserrat 1-800-847-2911

    • Morocco 002-11-0011Δ866-654-0163

    • Netherlands 0800-022-3110

    • Nevis 1-800-847-2911

    • New Zealand 0800-44-3019

    • Norway 800-12052

    • Panama 001-800-111-0016

    • Paraguay 008-11-800Δ800-599-1137

    • Perú 001-800-890-0623

    • Philippines 1-800-1-111-9015

    • Poland 0-0-800-111-1569

    • Portugal 800-8-11-824

    • Puerto Rico 1-800-847-2911

    • Romania 0 808-03-4288Δ888-557-4416

    • Saba* 1-800-847-2911

    • Saint Eustatius* 1-800-847-2911

    • Saint Kitts 1-800-847-2911

    • Saint Lucia 800-238-5517

    • Saint Maarten* 1-800-847-2911

    • San Marino 800-819-014

    • Saudi Arabia 1-800-10Δ866-654-0129

    • Senegal 800-103-072Δ888-557-4451

    • Singapore 800-110-0344

    • Slovakia 0 800-000-101Δ800-406-9970

    • South Africa 0800-990-475

    • South Korea 00798-11-00-908-12

    • Spain 900-99-1124

    • Sweden 020 160 4293

    • Switzerland 0800-89-4732

    • Taiwan 00801-10-3008

    • Thailand 001-800-11-535-0660

    • Trinidad and Tobago 1-800-847-2911

    • Turkey 00-800-13-535-0900

    • Turks and Caicos 0-1-800-847-2911

    • Ukraine 800-502-886Δ888-557-4445

    • United Arab Emirates 8000-021Δ866-654-0112

    • United Kingdom 0800-89-1725

    • United States 1-800-847-2911

    • Uruguay 00-0411-940-7915

    • U.S. Virgin Islands 1-800-847-2911

    • Venezuela 0800-1-002167

    • Vietnam 1 201-0288Δ888-710-7781

    • Updated 1/10/2023

  • The situation, where public lobbying for morality alone is capable of unilaterally causing wide cultural censorship, is the issue that has arose. Correcting that situation by rising to the tools by which the puritans are attempting to force their backwards morality onto society is a reaction, not the root cause. It's pretty explicitly different.

    Not sure I'd call preventing abuse as backwards mentality.

  • Makes it a bit harder to tell what someone's intentions are though doesnt it? I dont think this problem will be solved by a petition anyways, itch.io is already working on a solution and steam likely will as well but be less vocal about it and the progress they are making.

    I suppose it does make it more difficult, but very few things are as black and white as "people only care because they want to play porn games". There's usually some nuance in there.

    And who knows, this whole situation happened because a tiny group pressured companies into acting a certain way. So it's not like putting pressure on them has no effect. May as well try.

  • I suppose it does make it more difficult, but very few things are as black and white as "people only care because they want to play porn games". There's usually some nuance in there.

    And who knows, this whole situation happened because a tiny group pressured companies into acting a certain way. So it's not like putting pressure on them has no effect. May as well try.

    If the outcome is the most important thing than sure, may as well try. Although that will just get some of these horrible games re-listed so again I question the motivation.

    The main issue I have is when people claim they are opposed to the idea of tiny groups pressuring companies to change policy, but then argue they should use the exact same tactic. This again seems to betray their stated motivation.

  • Those tactics are literally working this very minute. What tactics would you rather see?

    Wait! Don't reply here, go make a post about it! I promise that will be more effective than continuing what you're doing here.

    Fine you win.

    Would you please go call you senator or congressperson, local politician or mayor, perhaps a school board member or library director, and state your opposition to visa and MasterCard refusing service for sexual abuse related products.

    There, I'm contributing just as much as you are! Twinsies!

  • It's the slowly boiling water, mate. You think governments give a fuck whether some neckbeards play incest video games in their mum's basement? It's about power and expanding the reach of what they can monitor and control. One day it's porn games the next day it's books. It's a tiny step towards a more and more authoritarian world.

    This has nothing to do with government, its a business decision. How do you make sense of anything you just posted?

  • What is wrong with that? It's not like actual democracies are a thing. The elites somewhat allow us to decide on "Western bullshit" topics such as killing games, gendered bathrooms, national dishes, and other issues that don't affect their bottom lines. They don't allow us to influence geopolitics. Sure you can yell about freeing Congo, and it should be.. but ehh, if some people care about stop killing games then whatever. Anything positive is something - and I don't even really play video games or care about this thing.

    What people care about is literally the whole ball game.

  • Do you support incest and rape video games being globally banned from sale? I mean, I can kind of get it, its fucked up porn.

    But I don't like the idea of fictional smut, even if of particularly morally questionable type of porn, gets globally banned (as long as its just fictional obviously).

    What people jork their peanits/flick their bean to as long as no one was actually harmed in its production is none of my or your business.

    Obviously, there is also the chilling effect of letting this censorship slide and the anti-democratic nature of payment processors being the ones enforcing this. But I suspect those are unconvincing to you and you are happy this stuff is harder to get now. Am I wrong?

    Fictional isn't the same as not real.

  • This has nothing to do with government, its a business decision. How do you make sense of anything you just posted?

    It's not just a "business decision". It's about control and they're connected. You're naive if you don't see the bigger picture

  • Wow. Imagine being able to buy a video game online with a credit card, without having to drive to the department store to buy it! You don't even have to move from your seat! How draconian THAT would be!

    Who has complained about that?

  • I just called visa and got the send an email spiel. I didn't have time to do more time wasting, but it's clear from the person I talked to they are getting lots of calls.

    The person in the screenshots getting the supervisor and escalating is a top tier time waster, great work!

  • but Maeve said to call the senators about these, not mastercard. and you don't need to call them about all of these topics at once either.

    But the Visa thing is an international issue that can be dealt with by contacting Visa. They're talking about contacting US senators, which is obviously not an international thing, it's an American thing. I know a lot of Americans have difficulty understanding that America doesn't equal the whole world, but come on.

    Go do that too but don't try and link it to this because it's not even remotely related.

  • It was sarcasm. I really dislike that the only thing young men will protest about is saving video games.

    It's not the only thing people are protesting about is just the only thing people are protesting about in this thread.

    You're really determined to be angry about this aren't you

    You know cuz no one's been protesting about Palestine for the last whole bloody year have they, oh no that's definitely not been happening. <<< That bit sarcasm just in case you didn't get that.

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    They will say something like solar went from 600gw to 1000 thats a 66% increase this year and coal only increased 40% except coal is 3600gw to 6400. Hrmmmm, maybe these numbers are outdated? Based on this coal and gas are down: In Q1 2025, solar generation rose 48% compared to the same period in 2024. Solar power reached 254 TWh, making up 10% of total electricity. This was the largest increase among all clean energy sources. Coal-fired electricity dropped by 4%, falling to 1,421 TWh. Gas-fired power also went down by 4%, reaching 67 TWh https://carboncredits.com/china-sets-clean-energy-record-in-early-2025-with-951-tw/ are no where close to what is required to meet their climate goals Which ones in particular are you talking about? Trump signs executive order directing US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement — again https://apnews.com/article/trump-paris-agreement-climate-change-788907bb89fe307a964be757313cdfb0 China vowed on Tuesday to continue participating in two cornerstone multinational arrangements -- the World Health Organization and Paris climate accord -- after newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump ordered withdrawals from them. https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250121-china-says-committed-to-who-paris-climate-deal-after-us-pulls-out What's that saying? You hate it when the person you hate is doing good? I can't remember what it is I can't fault them for what they're doing at the moment, even if they are run by an evil dictatorship and do pollute the most I’m not sure how european defense spending is relevant It suggests there is money available in the bank to fund solar/wind/battery, but instead they are preparing for? something? what? who knows. France can make a fighter jet at home but not solar panels apparently. Prehaps they would be made in a country with environmental and labour laws if governments legislated properly to prevent companies outsourcing manufacturing. However this doesnt absolve china. China isnt being forced at Gunpoint to produce these goods with low labour regulation and low environmental regulation. You're right, it doesn't absolve china, and I avoid purchasing things from them wherever possible, my solar panels and EV were made in South Korea, my home battery was made in Germany, there are only a few things in my house made in China, most of them I got second hand but unfortunately there is no escaping the giant of manufacturing. With that said it's one thing for me to sit here and tut tut at China, but I realise I am not most people, the most clearest example is the extreme anti-ai, anti-billionaire bias on this platform, in real life most people don't give a fuck, they love Amazon/Microsoft/Google/Apple etc, they can't go a day without them. So I consider myself a realist, if you want people to buy your stuff then you will need to make the conditions possible for them to WANT to buy your stuff, not out of some moral lecture and Europe isn't doing that, if we look at energy prices: Can someone actually point out to me where this comes from? ... At the end of the day energy is a small % of EU household spending I was looking at corporate/business energy use: Major European companies are already moving to cut costs and retain their competitive edge. For example, Thyssenkrupp, Germany’s largest steelmaker, said on Monday it would slash 11,000 jobs in its steel division by 2030, in a major corporate reshuffle. https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/High-Energy-Costs-Continue-to-Plague-European-Industry.html Prices have since fallen but are still high compared to other countries. A poll by Germany's DIHK Chambers of Industry and Commerce of around 3,300 companies showed that 37% were considering cutting production or moving abroad, up from 31% last year and 16% in 2022. For energy-intensive industrial firms some 45% of companies were mulling slashing output or relocation, the survey showed. "The trust of the German economy in energy policy is severely damaged," Achim Dercks, DIHK deputy chief executive said, adding that the government had not succeeded in providing companies with a perspective for reliable and affordable energy supply. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/more-german-companies-mull-relocation-due-high-energy-prices-survey-2024-08-01/ I've seen nothing to suggest energy prices in the EU are SO cheap that it's worth moving manufacturing TO Europe, and this is what annoys me the most. I've pointed this out before but they have an excellent report on the issues: https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/97e481fd-2dc3-412d-be4c-f152a8232961_en?filename=The+future+of+European+competitiveness+_+A+competitiveness+strategy+for+Europe.pdf Then they put out this Competitive Compass: https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/competitiveness-compass_en But tbh every week in the EU it seems like they are chasing after some other goal. This would be great, it would have been greater 10 years ago. Agreed
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