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Steam

Gaming

Source-backed from Steam Privacy Policy Agreement

73
reviewed findings
15
key findings
3
free to read here
16
verified controls

7 of them depend on where you live.

Privacy Snapshot

What the published policy covers, and how much we found under each. Tap one to read it.

  • Location 1 finding
  • Messages 2 findings
  • Sensitive Data 2 findings
  • Tracking 4 findings
  • Advertising & Profiling 4 findings
  • Sharing 14 findings
  • Controls & Permissions 38 findings
  • Other 8 findings

3 findings, in full

The first 3 of this report’s 15 key findings, complete — claim, reasoning, and the policy’s own wording.

Sensitive Data Paying on Steam by credit card gives Valve your card number and security code

What this means

Valve says that if you pay by credit card, you provide your name, address, card number, expiration date and security code to Valve, which processes it and transmits it to the payment service provider you choose to enable the transaction and perform anti-fraud checks.

Why this matters

Your full card details pass through Valve on their way to the payment company.

What the policy says

If you pay by credit card, you need to provide typical credit card information (name, address, credit card number, expiration date and security code) to Valve, which Valve will process and transmit to the payment service provider of your choice to enable the transaction and perform anti-fraud checks. Likewise, Valve will receive data from your payment service provider for the same reasons.

From Steam Privacy Policy Agreement

Source captured on

Messages Posts on Steam community boards, forums and chat areas are made publicly available

What this means

Valve says that when you post a message to a Steam community board, forum or chat area, the information is made publicly available online.

Why this matters

What you write in Steam's community spaces can be read by anyone online.

What the policy says

When posting a message to a board, forum or chat area, please be aware that the information is being made publicly available online; therefore, you are doing so at your own risk. If your Personal Data is posted on one of our community forums against your will, please use the reporting function and the Steam help site to request its removal.

From Steam Privacy Policy Agreement

Source captured on

Controls & Permissions Valve keeps certain Steam transaction data for up to ten years

What this means

Valve says it is required to retain certain transactional data under statutory commercial and tax law for up to ten years.

Why this matters

A record of what you bought can outlast your use of Steam by years.

What the policy says

Please note that Valve is required to retain certain transactional data under statutory commercial and tax law for a period of up to ten (10) years.

From Steam Privacy Policy Agreement

Source captured on

12 more key findings a free account opens, by topic

  • Controls & Permissions 3
  • Sharing 2
  • Tracking 2
  • Advertising & Profiling 1
  • Location 1
  • Messages 1
  • Other 1
  • Sensitive Data 1

Create a free account to read all 15

And every key finding for every company you use, with your companies saved and a dashboard of what is worth seeing across them, plus your Privacy Tune-Up. An email and a password — no card.

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Unlock the complete Steam report

A free account opens all 15 key findings. 58 additional reviewed findings are available in the complete report.

  • Tracking 2 more
  • Advertising & Profiling 3 more
  • Sharing 12 more
  • Controls & Permissions 34 more
  • Other 7 more

  • Complete report

    58 additional reviewed findings, each shown with the policy wording behind it, like the 15 above.

  • Privacy Tune-Up

    16 verified privacy controls, 5 of them high-impact — where each one is, what it changes, and what may stop working.

  • Stay protectedPlanned

    Told when the policy changes.

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Plainlyst simplifies selected disclosures from privacy policies. It does not claim to capture every statement or practice in a policy, and it is not legal advice.

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Operated by JC RESERVE LLC

james@plainlysthq.com

Official sources only. Every finding quotes the company’s own policy, and every record names the document behind it. We do not grade anybody.