Valve’s Steam Faces Content Restrictions in Russia

Valve has recently removed specific content from its platform, Steam in Russia in response to government complaints, allowing it to continue operating in the country.

This decision comes amid the broader fallout from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has seen many international businesses and services banned from the Russian market. Notably, companies like McDonald’s and Discord have ceased operations in the region, while Steam appears to have found a way to remain accessible, at least for now.

With a global catalogue boasting over 100,000 games and approximately 130 million users, including nearly 10 million in Russia, Steam’s adherence to local regulations is significant. The federal censorship agency, Roskomnadzor, confirmed to Russian state-controlled media outlet Interfax that Steam has complied with legal requirements, blocking 11 websites and removing 260 pieces of “banned materials” from its platform. However, the specific content that was removed has not been disclosed by either Steam or Russian authorities.

Steam is not alone in facing these challenges. Many other services, including popular social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, have been banned in Russia, alongside streaming services such as Crunchyroll, which has suspended its operations in the country. YouTube has also experienced outages recently, with speculation about a potential outright ban looming.

As the conflict continues, the future of online accessibility for Russian citizens remains uncertain, raising concerns about the digital divide between them and users in other parts of the world.