Phishing and spam are becoming a real problem in the Steam community, and the digital games distributor is fighting back.
Users must now spend at least $5 in the Steam store in order to access the following features:
- Sending friend invites
- Opening group chat
- Voting on Greenlight, Steam Reviews, and Workshop items
- Participating in the Steam Market
- Posting frequently in the Steam Discussions
- Gaining Steam Profile Levels (Locked to level 0) and Trading Cards
- Submitting content on the Steam Workshop
- Posting in an item’s Steam Workshop Discussions
- Accessing the Steam Web API
- Using browser and mobile chat
This isn’t a ploy to get users to spend more money, however — it is Steam’s answer to the growing number of trolls on the platform. As stated on the Steam Support page:
We’ve chosen to limit access to these features as a means of protecting our customers from those who abuse Steam for purposes such as spamming and phishing.
The networks data shows that when comparing regular and malicious users, the accounts being used for foul behavior often have no investment in the platform or its games. After all, why have a Steam account if not to play games?
Many users are commending Steam for setting up the money gate, as they hope it will limit unwarranted negative reviews, among other things. However, as always, a loud few are calling for its immediate removal. Granted, some users have legitimate reasons for their disapproval, such as the fact that they only use the platform to play free games.
Which side are you on?
