Steam is choosing to censor users…

Steam is choosing to censor user reviews to appease large corporations who do anti-consumer things. When corporations/publishers/developers participate in anti-consumer behavior, then one avenue users have to warn others of such anti-consumer behavior is to leave reviews.

When consumers leave reviews about anti-consumer behavior, this is seen by the corporations who sell their products on steam as unwanted review fluctuations. Steam labels them "off-topic" "review bombs".

The corporations who sell their products on the steam platform, have pressured steam into developing a special review system that detects unusual fluctuations in review scores due to companies doing scummy things, and hide the fluctuation.

It's so hard for these companies to not do anti-consumer things that it's easier to hide the evidence than change their business practices.

While there is an opt out, these companies can bank on the fact that the bulk of users will not know this censoring system is in place, or that there is the option to turn it off in the settings. Apathy will allow companies to get away with anti-consumer practices with reduced repercussions.

A major issue with this is that the definition of off-topic is not well defined, Valve can not be depended upon to be transparent, or communicative, and the whole system is open to abuse. Furthermore it opens the door to further censorship in future.

Valve is selling out to the corporations, and giving them increased ability to abuse steam customers, through taking away those customer's voices.