Can You Get Banned for Sharing Steam Games? The Truth Revealed!
Yes, you can get banned for sharing Steam games, but not necessarily in the way you might think. While Steam’s Family Sharing feature is perfectly legitimate, abusing it or engaging in practices that violate the Steam Subscriber Agreement (SSA) can absolutely lead to penalties, including bans. It’s crucial to understand the nuances of how Steam’s system works to avoid inadvertently jeopardizing your account. Think of it like lending your car: letting a friend borrow it is fine, but if they use it to commit a crime, you might face legal trouble too.
Understanding Steam’s Stance on Sharing
Steam doesn’t explicitly prohibit sharing games through its official Family Sharing feature. This feature allows you to authorize up to 5 accounts and 10 devices within a 90-day period to access your game library. This is intended for families or close friends who live together and want to share their purchases. However, there are limitations and potential pitfalls that can result in bans.
The key lies in adhering to the rules and avoiding activities that could be construed as fraudulent or harmful to the Steam ecosystem. The most common cause of bans related to Family Sharing is when shared accounts are used for cheating or fraud.
The VAC Ban Connection
Here’s the critical point: If a user you’ve shared your library with cheats in a VAC (Valve Anti-Cheat) protected game, your account can also be banned. This is because VAC bans are applied to all accounts sharing a phone number at the time of the infraction. Even if you weren’t cheating, the actions of someone you shared your library with can have serious consequences.
Think of it as guilt by association. Valve’s logic is that if you knowingly or unknowingly allowed someone to cheat using your shared library, you are, in effect, enabling that behavior. This is why Steam strongly advises only authorizing computers and accounts you know to be secure and used responsibly.
Beyond VAC: Other Sharing-Related Bans
While VAC bans are the most direct consequence of misuse, other violations can also lead to account restrictions. These include:
- Account Theft and Selling: Any attempt to gain access to another user’s account or the act of buying, selling, or trading Steam accounts is strictly prohibited and will result in a ban. Sharing your credentials with strangers falls under this category.
- Fraudulent Activity: Using Family Sharing to facilitate payment fraud or redeem fraudulent gifts can lead to severe penalties, including permanent account termination.
- Circumventing Restrictions: Attempting to bypass game restrictions or circumvent regional pricing using multiple accounts and Family Sharing is also a violation.
- Piracy or Hacking: Sharing your library and one of the users downloads a pirated game or performs any sort of hacking, can also lead to a ban.
Staying Safe While Sharing
To safely use Steam’s Family Sharing feature, follow these guidelines:
- Share with Trusted Individuals: Only authorize accounts and devices that you know and trust. Ideally, these should be family members or close friends.
- Be Aware of Their Activities: While you can’t constantly monitor their gameplay, be aware of the games they are playing and their general online behavior. If you suspect they are cheating or engaging in risky activities, remove their authorization immediately.
- Secure Your Account: Use a strong, unique password and enable Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator for two-factor authentication. This will help prevent unauthorized access to your account, which could lead to misuse of Family Sharing.
- Educate Others: Make sure the people you share your library with understand the rules and consequences of violating the Steam Subscriber Agreement.
- Regularly Review Authorized Devices: Periodically review the list of authorized computers and devices in your Steam settings and remove any that are no longer in use or that you no longer trust.
Remember, the convenience of Family Sharing comes with the responsibility of ensuring that your shared library is used in a safe and compliant manner.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I get VAC banned for playing a game someone else shared with me?
No, you won’t get VAC banned simply for playing a game someone else shared with you. However, if you cheat while playing a VAC-protected game, both your account and the account that shared the game with you could be banned.
2. Is it okay to share my Steam account with a friend who lives in another country?
Sharing your account with someone who lives in another country violates the Steam Subscriber Agreement, as it can be seen as an attempt to circumvent regional pricing or restrictions. This could lead to account restrictions.
3. Can Steam detect if I’m using a VPN to access games from a different region?
Yes, Steam can detect the use of VPNs. While using a VPN isn’t directly a bannable offense, using it to circumvent regional pricing or access content that is not available in your region can lead to account restrictions.
4. How many times can I enable and disable Family Sharing in a month?
Steam allows you to authorize Family Library Sharing on up to 5 accounts and up to 10 devices in a 90-day period. This includes accounts/devices that you have cancelled sharing with in that same time period.
5. What happens if my Family Sharing partner gets a game ban in a non-VAC protected game?
A game ban in a non-VAC protected game is determined by the game developer. It usually only affects the account that committed the infraction. Your account will not be affected unless you were directly involved in the cheating or violation.
6. Can I appeal a VAC ban if I believe it was issued in error due to Family Sharing?
No, VAC bans are permanent, non-negotiable, and cannot be removed by Steam Support. If a VAC ban is issued incorrectly, it will be automatically removed after investigation, but Steam Support does not manually remove VAC bans applied to accounts for any reason.
7. What is the difference between a VAC ban and a game ban?
A VAC ban is issued by Valve and prevents you from playing any VAC-protected games on your account. A game ban is issued by the developer of a specific game and only prevents you from playing that particular game.
8. Can I share my Steam account details with someone I trust?
Sharing your Steam account details, even with someone you trust, is a violation of the Steam Subscriber Agreement and can lead to your account being compromised or banned.
9. Is it against Steam rules to have multiple accounts?
While opening up several accounts is not expressly prohibited, Steam does not encourage it. The SSA prohibits sharing accounts, not making multiple ones.
10. Can Steam ban me for having pirated games on my computer, even if I don’t add them to Steam?
Yes. If your pirated game requires Steam, it will be prevented by Steam from being launched.
11. What is bannable on Steam?
Account Theft and other Deliberately Deceptive Activity. Any attempt to gain access to someone else’s account is considered account theft. Buying, Selling, or Trading Accounts. Accounts which have been bought, sold or traded will be restricted. Scamming, Impersonation, or Social Engineering.
12. What do I do if my Steam account is hijacked?
Change your Steam password immediately. Contact Steam Support. Provide as much information about the account and ownership as possible, and follow their instructions to recover your account.
13. Do Steam bans go away after 7 years?
VAC bans become hidden to other users after seven years of not getting another VAC ban. The user’s Steam profile is also marked with “ban(s) on record”, which is publicly visible and cannot be hidden, regardless of the profile visibility of the banned account.
14. Will Steam ban me for using cheat engine?
You don’t get banned from steam, usually you get banned on a per-game basis. But you can be banned for unused, but present cheats if they’re detected.
15. Has anyone gone to jail for pirating games?
Yes. In 2022, Nintendo hacker Gary Bowser was handed a 40-month jail sentence for creating and selling devices that hold pirated games.
Understanding the rules and potential risks associated with Steam’s Family Sharing feature is crucial for maintaining a healthy and compliant account. By following the guidelines and being mindful of the activities of those you share your library with, you can enjoy the benefits of sharing without jeopardizing your account’s integrity.
The Games Learning Society advocates for responsible gaming and ethical practices within the gaming community. You can learn more about our initiatives at GamesLearningSociety.org.