Is using a VPN an offense that can get you banned?

[SCS_DEATHSTRIKER]

A friend of mine said the terms of service has changed and using a vpn can get your steam account banned? Is this true? I've looked through the subscriber agreement and I can't find anything mentioning using a vpn.

[Lithurge]

No change. It's always been the case you can get banned if using a VPN to bypass region restrictions. So long as you're not doing that steam doesn't care.

[xarvn]

You can also get banned if you use VPN to take advantage of regional price differences.

[SCS_DEATHSTRIKER]

Ok, like I'm in the United States, so as long as my vpn server is also in the United States, it shouldn't be a problem right?

[Stormer]

im pretty sure they only care if your using it to get lower prices

[HikariLight]

Publicado originalmente por SCS_DEATHSTRIKER:

Ok, like I'm in the United States, so as long as my vpn server is also in the United States, it shouldn't be a problem right?

Each State in the USA has different sales tax laws that must be followed.
If you want to buy something on Steam, best bet is to turn off your VPN and then restart Steam, then make your purchase.
Using the VPN to browse or post in the forums is fine, but when buying anything is a big no.

[Supafly]

Publicado originalmente por SCS_DEATHSTRIKER:

Ok, like I'm in the United States, so as long as my vpn server is also in the United States, it shouldn't be a problem right?

Doesnt make a different nowadays as prices are based on the registered address of the payment methods address.

[SCS_DEATHSTRIKER]

What about playing games, like call of duty or battlefield or dota 2 or smite? As long as my vpn is in the same country as I'm located that shouldn't be a problem either should it?

[matt]

https://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement/
"You agree that you will not use IP proxying or other methods to disguise the place of your residence, whether to circumvent geographical restrictions on game content, to order or purchase at pricing not applicable to your geography, or for any other purpose. If you do this, Valve may terminate your access to your Account."

"or for any other purpose" is a pretty big blanket statement.

[Iceira]

Publicado originalmente por matt:

https://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement/
"You agree that you will not use IP proxying or other methods to disguise the place of your residence, whether to circumvent geographical restrictions on game content, to order or purchase at pricing not applicable to your geography, or for any other purpose. If you do this, Valve may terminate your access to your Account."

"or for any other purpose" is a pretty big blanket statement.

Agree with you.

But steem did not make it better then search for VPN in the tekst, it aien't there, but now we are over in understanding the what VPN do. ( Hidden or mask ) as they try to explan as they once did, in the tekst was there last time i read it. ( not the first time they have update own context or change it.)

[SCS_DEATHSTRIKER]

Ahh see I missed that statement, because I was looking for "VPN" in the agreement. By that statement, they can ban your account just for using a vpn period. That sux. That means even though you follow the rules, you have to be less secure to follow that rule.

[Lithurge]

Publicado originalmente por SCS_DEATHSTRIKER:

Ahh see I missed that statement, because I was looking for "VPN" in the agreement. By that statement, they can ban your account just for using a vpn period. That sux. That means even though you follow the rules, you have to be less secure to follow that rule.

Yes technically they can, but people have been using VPN's (for various reasons outside those specifically prohibited) for years without an issue.

[Supafly]

Publicado originalmente por SCS_DEATHSTRIKER:

Ahh see I missed that statement, because I was looking for "VPN" in the agreement. By that statement, they can ban your account just for using a vpn period. That sux. That means even though you follow the rules, you have to be less secure to follow that rule.

I've been using a VPN for years and I that includes when I buy and play games on Steam. Always in the same country. Funny thing is I'm sometimes connected to a server further away from where I am and steam shows that I'm connected from somewhere closer than it has shown I am when NOT using the VPN. Stick to your country and you should be fine. Just resetting you modem/router, ISP dependant, can get you a new IP and make you appear to be located somewhere else

[TorMazila]

Publicado originalmente por HikariLight:

If you want to buy something on Steam, best bet is to turn off your VPN and then restart Steam, then make your purchase.
Using the VPN to browse or post in the forums is fine, but when buying anything is a big no.

USA has big nation-wide ISP's - and I'm somewhat sure there are cases with nation-wide DHCP pools, the consequence being "it's impossible to provide any reasonable geolocation based on IP address", not mentioning that WHOIS database typically contains main office address and not where the particular IP range is used - making it impossible to provide any geolocation based on open data sources. And I didn't mention Starlink yet :))).

[peppermint hollows]

Publicado originalmente por SCS_DEATHSTRIKER:

Ahh see I missed that statement, because I was looking for "VPN" in the agreement. By that statement, they can ban your account just for using a vpn period. That sux. That means even though you follow the rules, you have to be less secure to follow that rule.

Well if it makes you feel any better, whatever VPNs have told you about them making you more "secure" is just marketing.

[TorMazila]

Publicado originalmente por SCS_DEATHSTRIKER:

Ahh see I missed that statement, because I was looking for "VPN" in the agreement. By that statement, they can ban your account just for using a vpn period. That sux. That means even though you follow the rules, you have to be less secure to follow that rule.

You should have searched for "proxy" as well - as technically speaking both technologies achieve the same result - you are visible from another IP. It's easier to have wording like "we can do whatever to your account if we wish to, whenever we wish" than have a list of exact cases. Basically people can use VPN to "optimize" game prices and, perhaps, try to do some sort of online activity, pretending they are locals. Like you can hire people to pretend being your neighbors and try to affect the elections outcome. Or start harassing you or doing some other crap. "what Steam has to do with that?" is a valid question and I'll not risk guessing the answer :)