It Gets Worse.. VISA Threatens to Censor Everything at the Source

Summary

Visa and Mastercard are increasingly asserting control over the gaming world, using their financial power to influence content creation and regulation. Through partnerships, sponsorships, and creator collaborations, they aim to reshape gaming culture, prioritizing profit over freedom of expression. This corporate overreach is already leading to censorship, as seen with Steam and other platforms removing content under pressure. The video highlights the need for public awareness and action to prevent these payment giants from stifling the creative freedoms of gamers and creators. The risk is that this censorship will continue to expand, affecting all forms of entertainment.

Takeaways

• 🎮 Visa and Mastercard are increasingly integrating themselves into gaming culture, aiming to influence commerce, content, and community.
• 💰 Visa’s job posting for 'Director of Global Gaming Partnerships' highlights its intention to build strategic partnerships and reimagine payments within gaming.
• 🛑 The speaker criticizes Visa for past censorship practices, including adult games on Steam, Japanese sites, and smaller businesses.
• 🌐 Payment processors are seen as using financial power to control which games or cultural content can thrive.
• 📊 Visa emphasizes gaming as a dominant force driven by Gen Z and Gen Alpha, positioning itself to capitalize on this influence.
• ⚠️ The video warns that Visa’s involvement could lead to preemptive censorship by funding or controlling content from the ground up.
• 📝 Public petitions in multiple countries are already challenging Visa and Mastercard’s influence, indicating growing global scrutiny.
• 📞 The speaker suggests activism through public awareness, call center outreach, and vocal opposition to pressure these companies.
• 📉 Past incidents show platforms like Steam have complied with payment processors, removing games and enforcing new policies under pressure.
• ⚖️ Potential outcomes include Visa maintaining control, creators legally challenging them, or government antitrust action to curb monopolistic behavior.
• 🗣️ The video emphasizes the importance of resisting corporate control to preserve freedom of expression and cultural diversity in gaming.
• 💸 High salaries for roles like Visa’s director suggest a significant investment in controlling cultural and economic aspects of the gaming industry.

Q & A

What is Visa's involvement in the gaming ecosystem, as described in the script?

Visa is positioning itself as a key player in the gaming ecosystem by offering partnerships with gaming publishers, platforms, and creators. They aim to reimagine how payments power the future of play, targeting Gen Z and Gen Alpha who spend more time gaming than engaging with other forms of media.

What concerns does the speaker raise about Visa’s role in the gaming industry?

The speaker expresses concern that Visa's increased involvement in gaming could lead to censorship and control over game content. Visa’s influence could limit the types of games that are allowed or affect how games are monetized, particularly through microtransactions or partnerships with specific creators and platforms.

How does Visa's job listing reflect its goals in the gaming industry?

Visa’s job listing for a 'Director of Global Gaming Partnerships' highlights the company’s intention to build global strategies for gaming, focusing on economic empowerment, cultural relevance, and monetization through sponsorships and creator partnerships, all while seeking to influence the gaming culture.

What is the speaker’s view on Visa's past actions with censorship?

The speaker criticizes Visa for its history of censorship, including shutting down adult games on platforms like Steam and Itch.io, as well as censoring Japanese dating sites. Visa is accused of forcing companies to comply with their policies, or face financial repercussions, effectively controlling the content available online.

What is the significance of the statement 'Payments power the future of play'?

The statement 'Payments power the future of play' suggests that Visa aims to integrate itself deeply into the gaming industry's financial infrastructure, influencing everything from game pricing to in-game purchases. This could extend to controlling how games are monetized and the types of games that are developed or allowed to thrive.

What role do Visa and Mastercard play in the wider censorship of content?

Visa and Mastercard are accused of playing a significant role in the censorship of gaming and cultural content by imposing policies that force companies to remove certain types of games or content. This includes forcing platforms like Steam to remove adult games and other content that doesn't align with their standards.

What are the potential consequences of Visa's increasing control over gaming?

Visa’s increasing control over gaming could result in a more restrictive environment where only certain types of content are allowed. Smaller companies and independent creators could face challenges in funding and distributing their games if they don't adhere to Visa's or Mastercard's policies, leading to a loss of creative freedom in the industry.

How does the speaker suggest people can fight back against Visa's influence?

The speaker suggests several ways to resist Visa’s influence, including raising public awareness, calling Visa’s customer service to put pressure on the company, and supporting antitrust lawsuits that could break up Visa and Mastercard's monopoly. Public outcry and collective action from creators and consumers are seen as crucial to pushing back.

What is the connection between Visa, Mastercard, and political influence?

The speaker implies that Visa and Mastercard have close ties with political figures, making it difficult to challenge their actions. The concern is that governments may be reluctant to intervene due to these connections, and that Visa and Mastercard's influence could continue unchecked without significant public resistance.

What does the speaker mean by 'Visa has shown its true colors'?

The phrase 'Visa has shown its true colors' means that the speaker believes Visa has become more open about its manipulative and controlling strategies. Visa is no longer trying to hide its intentions to control the gaming and cultural landscape for profit, using its financial power to impose its will on the industry.