The EU Commission Comes Down hard on Valve For Anti-Trust Policy Violation

Posted by Joshua Wash on February 23rd, 2021

Valve Corporation is the maker of the popular and award-winning Counter-Strike game. According to reports, the EU Commission has fined Valve some 4.6 million Euros (approx. million) for what they called" Valve's Anti-Trust in its multiplayer services". The Commission claims that Valve's anti-trust policies allowed the company to discriminate against certain games like Counter-Strike. The Commission also claims that the exclusivity was unjustifiable. After the fine was imposed on Valve, the company will have to change its anti-trust policies allowing other companies to introduce similar services in the industry.

In July 2021, Valve created the "Friends" system, an online service that allows players to connect and play games with friends and other players around the world. The system was very successful and gained huge popularity in a very short time. According to reports, over one million people used the system within the first month of its launch. However, when the EU

Commission reviewed the system, it found serious problems with the Anti-trust Policy of Valve. The Commission found that the anti-trust policy was contrary to the European Union's commitments regarding foreign companies' access to the internal market.

For instance, the EU made it mandatory for all companies to offer a payment system that can be used by consumers throughout the EU for making purchases. This new law will force Valve to allow the use of PayPal as a payment system for those users who wish to purchase games in the EU. On the other hand, Valve prevented players from purchasing or using alternative currencies in the EU through its anti-trust policy. This policy prevents players from using alternative currencies to buy games in the EU.

As a result, according to the EU, Valve broke its obligations regarding the freedom of players to ensure fair access to games in the EU market. Furthermore, the anti-trust policy was considered unfair because it restricted players from buying or using other currencies to pay for games.

According to the EU, the above actions constitute unfair and deceptive acts. Additionally, the Commission fine sends a message to all players around the world not to engage in behavior that would put other competitors at an advantage.

These facts are very unfortunate for Valve. In fact, it has a lot to lose if it did not take these actions. The loss could have been a lot greater had Valve not corrected the Anti-trust Policy early on. Had it done so, it might have been facing additional fines and penalties by the ECJ.

As a company, Valve should not be in a position to behave in this manner. Games consoles and online portals enjoy high standards. Consumers expect to pay for great games, and not pay a fortune for inferior games or services. It is important that websites have proper rules and regulations to govern their activities. It is also important that websites have to demonstrate that they operate in an orderly manner and have the necessary skills to police their business. If Valve cannot show these qualities, then it might face additional fines from the European Commission.