Steam Chat Now Censoring Links To CD-Key Vendors In Addition To Torrent Sites

[DiaSin]

So, I have not yet seen this posted officially on any tech news sites, so I have no source to link other than the screenshot below.However, given what happened, I figure this should qualify as news. If I am wrong, mods, feel free to move or delete this, however I ask that you PM me to let me know instead of just making it disappear. 

 

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It has been posted in the past, here and on multiple tech sites, that steam is beginning to censor links to torrents in their chat. Now, they are censoring links to CD-Key vendors as well. I sent a friend this link and instead of receiving the link, he received a message saying Link Removed. 

 

The censorship of torrent links is understandable, but CD-Key vendors are not illegal like torrents are. Among the CD Key vendors out there, Kinguin, the one whose link was censored, is probably the most legitimate business of all of them, giving you the option to buy from any number of smaller vendors with them as the middleman, ensuring a certain extra degree of buyer safety. I cannot see people being happy with this change to the steam chat in the long run, and where this goes from here on, we shall see. 

 

 

[sOURCE]

I had said friend take a screenshot of the chat window. 

[XTankSlayerX]

Well...

 

Censorship isn't nice...

[AlwaysFSX]

How hard would it be to remove the period between the url and TLD so it can't get censored?

[Imabigmac]

hmm, interesting. But we already knew Steam isn't a friendly giant, just no one wants to bite the hand that feeds them. 

 

Can confirm you can't send a G2A link 

[jbslayer]

I don't really have a problem with this. It's Valve's service you're using, why would they let you advertise "competition" on their chat service.

[WolfDeville]

I don't really have a problem with this. It's Valve's service you're using, why would they let you advertise "competition" on their chat service.

Now that's just silly

[jbslayer]

Now that's just silly

k cool m8

[SImoHayha]

I don't really have a problem with this. It's Valve's service you're using, why would they let you advertise "competition" on their chat service.

That would be like preventing Comcast internet users from accessing other internet companies like centurylink

[Anult]

I don't really have a problem with this. It's Valve's service you're using, why would they let you advertise "competition" on their chat service.

 

What about people that wish to give other users spare keys that they do not need?

 

That's just one of many issues that come with Steam now censoring CD keys.

 

I am sure users will find a workaround however.

[jbslayer]

What about people that wish to give other users spare keys that they do not need?

 

That's just one of many issues that come with Steam now censoring CD keys.

 

I am sure users will find a workaround however.

Did you fully read the post? It said CD key VENDORS. Not CD keys themselves 

[DiaSin]

What about people that wish to give other users spare keys that they do not need?

 

That's just one of many issues that come with Steam now censoring CD keys.

 

I am sure users will find a workaround however.

I think you may have misunderstood. Its not censoring keys themselves, at least that I know of. It is links to CD-Key vendors, such as Kinguin, that are being censored. 

 

Edit: jbslayer ninja-posted me.  :rolleyes:

[jbslayer]

That would be like preventing Comcast internet users from accessing other internet companies like centurylink

No it would be like preventing Comcast internet users from accessing an internet company that leeches off Comcast's service.

 

Kinguin and G2A are gray market retailers which undercut Valves sales.

[Slinkey]

So basically non-official third-party vendors.

To be honest, I don't really mind.

Also, it isn't that hard to just put spacing between the url or an extra period.

[Humbug]

Great news. Let's unite in the fight against pirates!

[Humbug]

I don't really have a problem with this. It's Valve's service you're using, why would they let you advertise "competition" on their chat service.

Ya, you are allowed to link to legitimate competition such as origin store and gog store without a problem.

[Guest]

Steam already did this for some torrent sites in the past. 

[Jasmin]

How can anyone in their right mind give applause to a chat service being censored, however righteous the reason would be... Talk about animals willingly walking into snares. Will they start auto censoring links to negative articles next? Or maybe banning your account because you dont praise gaben enough?

[Blebekblebek]

I don't think that was the goal

 

as you can read, they just banned any HTML link completely even shortning url with goo.gl and bit.ly are not allowed. (so far I can only link youtube)

 

considering the amount scammers pop in inject virus on an IMAGE link everytime.

 

it is annoying, but well....

[DiaSin]

Steam already did this for some torrent sites in the past. 

 

Yes, I mentioned that in the original post.

 

I don't think that was not the goal

 

as you can read, they just banned any HTML link completely even shortning url with goo.gl and bit.ly are not allowed. (so far I can only link youtube)

 

considering the amount scammers pop in inject virus on an IMAGE link everytime.

 

it is annoying, but well....

 

Wait what? I can send other links just fine on steam and friends get them. 

[Blebekblebek]

I've tried various website

it shows the link on my screen, but not on end user, except youtube.

[Master Disaster]

Unauthorised is unauthorised and its Valves house, Valves rules.

They're not censoring competition, they're censoring unauthorised key reseller's.

[sgloux3470]

CD key vendors aren't legitimate vendors.  

 

A lot of them steal their keys, or do stuff like buy a game cheap in regions like Russia or Brazil and then sell those keys to people in US for a much cheaper price. (This is incidentally why region locking exists.)  They are not getting their keys directly from Valve or the Publisher and if you think for a moment about how they can be turning a profit offering keys on huge discount it's obvious that they're acquiring them illegitimately.

 

Greenmangaming is the only legit one, and quite frankly with the deep discounts they've been offering on games like The Witcher 3 or Batman AA I'm beginning to doubt they're getting those keys legitimately anymore either. 

 

 

[Blebekblebek]

GMG Humblebundle on whitelist.

[Thony]

It kinda makes sense since steam has its own store.

And u can just put a gap between the letters to avoid censoring anyway

At least there is a way around it, unlike japanese porn

[That Norwegian Guy]

Greenmangaming is the only legit one

 

No, they aren't. GamersGate for example is legit. And GMG is North America only. There are many more smaller legit services, but they're all for just one country or a small handful of countries. Like that Russian site that had the Titanfall keys at launch that everyone were buying last year. Since then they've locked out non-Russian people.