Steam prohibits children under 13 from creating accounts and states it will not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. However, there is no active age verification mechanism described in the agreement.
This analysis describes what Steam's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
The provision operationalizes Valve's compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and similar age-based data protection regulations. It establishes the contractual mechanism by which Valve enforces the statutory minimum age threshold for service access.
The updated agreement no longer explicitly discloses that Steam Wallet funds held by Japanese users will expire six months after being added, or that expiration dates can be reviewed in the Steam Wallet. The removal of this disclosure eliminates the transparency mechanism previously available to Japanese subscribers regarding fund expiration timelines and monitoring options. Japanese law may still impose expiration requirements on stored funds regardless of contractual disclosure, but the agreement no longer notifies users of this expiration mechanism.
View change record →This provision was removed from the subscriber agreement, though it appears as 'Age Restriction and Parental Consent' in the new version without the COPPA-specific terminology.
View full change record →Minors under 13 are prohibited from using Steam, but the agreement relies on self-attestation rather than verified age gating, which may inadequately protect children and creates regulatory risk for Valve under COPPA.
How other platforms handle this
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"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. Additional age restrictions may apply in your country.Excerpt from Steam's Subscriber Agreement
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision directly engages COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) 15 U.S.C.
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The provision operationalizes Valve's compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and similar age-based data protection regulations. It establishes the contractual mechanism by which Valve enforces the statutory minimum age threshold for service access.
Minors under 13 are prohibited from using Steam, but the agreement relies on self-attestation rather than verified age gating, which may inadequately protect children and creates regulatory risk for Valve under COPPA.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 5 platforms. See the full comparison.
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