Legislation is currently under review in the United States that could redefine the relationship between financial institutions and digital platforms. The bill aims to prevent payment systems from coercing platforms into restricting content, a move that is expected to have significant implications for the Steam and itch.io controversies surrounding card company censorship which have been making waves recently.

Back in February, US Senator Kevin Cramer introduced an amendment to the 'Fair Access to Banking Act'. At its core, the amendment seeks to stop financial institutions—be they card networks, banks, or payment processors—from unilaterally terminating services to lawful businesses, particularly game developers who rely on government loan programs.

Should a bank, credit union, or payment network refuse to do business with a 'law-abiding person or company,' they face potential legal repercussions. These include bans from electronic funds transfer systems and loan programs, revocation of deposit insurance, and civil penalties. Any refusal to transact must be backed by documented, quantitative, and fair risk-based criteria. Furthermore, the bill grants the affected party the right to initiate civil litigation against the violator.

The urgency of this bill has been underscored by recent instances where card giants like Visa and Mastercard, under pressure from certain groups, flexed their muscles to demand the removal of specific games from digital storefronts. Given that the current 'censorship' policies on platforms like Steam or itch.io lack transparent or quantitative standards, they would likely fall directly under the scope of this legislation.

Gamers have been vocal about their disdain for such systemic censorship. Some users have even called for boycotts of Visa or Mastercard, threatening to switch to alternative payment methods if these firms continue their interference. Of course, that is easier said than done, given how ubiquitous these systems are in our daily lives. If this amendment passes, it would effectively clip the wings of financial institutions, preventing them from forcing platforms like Steam to restrict adult content. The days of these companies acting as arbitrary censors would be numbered.

The amendment is currently before the 119th United States Congress and has been referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. The first session of the 119th Congress is set to run until January 3rd of next year, and should it spill over into the second session, the process could potentially drag on until January 2027.