Gabe Newell Bashed Valve’s Top Lawyer During Moderation Debate
In a recent report by Bloomberg, Gabe Newell bashed Valve’s top lawyer during a debate about adult content on Steam.
Despite growing restrictions around adult content on both Valve’s platform and across the internet, Steam does have quite a bit of extreme adult content. And while Valve has taken a hands-off approach to the situation, it was once a contentious topic. But with that approach, there has been immense criticism surrounding the topic.
A new report has revealed a heated debate inside Valve over pornographic games on Steam.
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According to former employees, Valve’s top lawyer suggested the company take a stronger role in moderating adult content on the platform.
Gabe Newell reportedly disagreed, saying, “What… pic.twitter.com/AflsPZc7De
And while Valve delists adult content from the platform every now and then, like last year, it seems like something that Gabe Newell is passionate about. Especially considering a recent anecdote from an anonymous former Valve employee during the time when Newell downright bashed Valve’s lawyer.
The lawyer, Karl Quackenbush, apparently advocated for a more hands-on approach to content moderation on Steam. According to the report, it seems like Quackenbush wanted more moderation on adult content.
However, Newell responded to the proposal by saying, “What the —- do I pay you for if that’s your opinion?”
And for many Steam users, it’s clear who won the debate. If safe search isn’t on, it’s too easy to scroll across something that isn’t appropriate. It seems that Newell doesn’t really care what goes on the platform as long as it’s not illegal or straight-up trolling.
The free approach has its pros and cons, to say the least. Though it’s amazing to see that Valve does have some standards, for instance, GamesRadar reports that an anime-style NSFW game was ghosted by Valve because it focused on underage characters. Along with that, Steam took action against a visual novel that focused on verbally harassing, killing, and doing much worse to women.
