this post was submitted on 17 Jul 2023
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It feels like an easily solvable problem. Every key is unique. It can be centrally tracked from it's origin to the buyer. Steam should allow the easy revocation of keys if reported as bought with fraudulent means.
The reason keys aren't revoked more often is because it results in negative press. If you bought a Plony GameStation 6, you're very clearly not a Sony customer. But if you buy what looks like a Steam key, you enter it on Steam, you play it on Steam, and then days later get invalidated, usually the customer frustration is towards Steam. Most people looking for cheap games don't follow the chain of causality to see who's at fault.
It does. That's why sometimes you'll buy a game on g2a, it'll work for a while, and suddenly be inactivated. (Because it was bought with fraudulent means)
And even if the keys don't become invalid and were initially purchased with a non-stolen credit card, it may be part of a money laundering operation and therefore facilitating some shady crap.