Seven US senators have written a joint letter to the video game industry’s top publishers asking them to explain how the companies are fighting extremism and toxicity on their platforms. The Axios portal reports it.
The list of companies receiving letters from Senators included Epic Games, Valve, Xbox, Sony, Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Riot Games, Square Enix, Take-Two, Tencent, Ubisoft, Roblox Corporation, Innersloth and PUBG Corp Members of Congress say that “since there is a discussion about the safety of content offered by technology companies to our children, game companies should also be involved in the discussion.”
US authorities want to know how developers are combating extremism and toxicity in online gaming, as well as what moderation principles are being used to identify and block neo-Nazi and other radical communities on their platforms. The senators also question whether companies are willing to regularly release reports of bans on inappropriate gamers. They are also being asked to disclose the size of the teams handling player complaints and how they work.
The reason for the appeal of the senators was relationship Anti-Defamation League, whose members analyzed player behavior in online games and playgrounds. As a result, representatives of the organization concluded that in 2022, the number of extremist, hateful, toxic and similar discussions, communities and players increased significantly. Teenagers between the ages of 10 and 17 have become the primary audience for disseminating such views, but adults have also come under pressure.
