A strange thing about Valve, itch.io, and payment processors

Currently there's a huge controversy about an activist group taking credit for inducing several payment processors, including VISA and Mastercard, to demand that several video game online distribution platforms take down games that this activist group doesn't approve of.

This is not just empty words, as both Valve and itch.io have delisted or hidden thousands and thousands of games, which can no longer be found even if searched for.

Lots and lots of youtube channels are talking about this, and thousands of gamers are flooding the support telephone lines of both payment processor companies with complaints.

There's one thing I find a bit strange about this whole thing, though. Something that so far I have not seen any of those youtubers, or anybody else, point out:

Neither Valve nor itch.io have told what exactly are the demands that they have supposedly gotten from VISA and Mastercard. In both cases the announcement and rules changes are extremely vague, and only refer to some very vague and completely unspecified "content that may violate the rules and standards of payment processors", without even indicating what those supposed "rules and standards" are.

This is particularly strange in light of both VISA and Mastercard having made official statements that they have never sent any such demands to Valve, itch.io, or any other such company. For example the official recent statement by Mastercard reads:

"Mastercard has not evaluated any game or required restrictions of any activity on game creator sites and platforms, contrary to media reports and allegations."

VISA has also released a similar statement. 

While it's possible that both companies are lying through their teeth, I doubt it. They have too much of a reputation to uphold to risk lying so blatantly. I am willing to believe that, indeed, neither company has sent any demands to either Valve or itch.io.

Which brings up the question: Why did Valve and itch.io delist thousands of games, and claim that it's because of payment processor requirements, if the payment processors never sent them any such demands? Where did Valve and itch.io get this idea? If they were never contacted by those payment processors, what exactly scared them so much?

I can't help but find this really strange.

And, curiously, nobody seems to have noticed this oddity, or is commenting on it even if they have.