Valve tightens up Steam family sharing

Valve has updated its family sharing options for Steam games, implementing a new two-step validation process.

A post on Steam’s community site explains that a user’s account will now need to get clearance from the original account holder – in addition to getting authorization on the receiver’s hardware – to gain access to the sharer’s catalog of games.

Valve states that the extra step allows users more control over who is accessing their respective library, and [decreases] the risk of VAC or other bans resulting from an unknown user accessing and abusing shared games on an authorized machine."

Users will now be able to grant access to 10 accounts and 10 machines as well, granting access to all owned games and DLC (excluding products carrying third-party DRM).

Steam’s family sharing program originally launched in beta back in September of last year.