There’s a new turn in the itch.io story. In a forum post, itch.io creator and founder Leaf Corcoran has notified users that the company has begun the process of restoring thousands of NSFW pages that were deindexed — that is, content that has been removed from search results and recommendation lists. The catch is that in order for deindexed content to be restored, it has to be listed as free. This is ostensibly because there can be no objection from payment processors if there are no payments being processed for prohibited material.
“Today, we are re-indexing free adult NSFW content,” Corcoran wrote. The itch.io creator went on to explain that the company is actively working to restore paid NSFW content but that will take some time. “We are still in ongoing discussions with payment processors and will be re-introducing paid content slowly to ensure we can confidently support the widest range of creators in the long term.”
The itch.io adult content ban began last week with the indie storefront announcing that it had mass deindexed all content labeled as “NSFW” or “adult” in the face of mounting pressure from the site’s payment processors. That pressure, Corcoran said, is what caused the rather abrupt and disruptive action that resulted in over 20,000 pages containing games, books, comics, artwork, and more being removed from the site virtually overnight and with no advance communication.
“To ensure that we can continue to operate and provide a marketplace for all developers, we must prioritize our relationship with our payment partners and take immediate steps towards compliance,” Corcoran wrote in the original announcement.
Since then, itch.io creators and more have mounted a massive pushback campaign, calling up payment processors like Visa and Mastercard demanding they let itch.io conduct business as usual. In an email to The Verge, Mastercard’s senior vice president of communications Seth Eisen denied allegations that it is essentially censoring its client writing:
“Mastercard has not evaluated any game or required restrictions of any activity on game creator sites and platforms, contrary to media reports and allegations. Our payment network follows standards based on the rule of law. Put simply, we allow all lawful purchases on our network. At the same time, we require merchants to have appropriate controls to ensure Mastercard cards cannot be used for unlawful purchases, including illegal adult content.”
“Visa does not discriminate against legal transactions. Some merchants, such as adult content or gambling sites that operate legally, face an elevated risk of illegal activity, and we require enhanced safeguards for acquirers supporting merchants in these industries.”
In the meantime, Corcoran said that Stripe, one of itch.io’s payment processors for over 10 years, will not support NSFW content at all, but added that itch.io is working to find new business partners.
“We are in the process of talking with other payment partners to accept card payments that Stripe is unable to process,” Corcoran wrote. “Our long-term plan is to implement one or more new processors to avoid putting the platform at risk.”
