Seven US senators have written a collective letter to the leading publishers in the video game industry asking them to explain how the companies are fighting extremism and toxicity on their platforms. This was reported by the portal Axios.
The list of companies that received letters from the 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 corporations to our children, game companies should also be involved in the discussion.”
US authorities want to know how developers are fighting extremism and toxicity in online games, as well as what moderation principles are used to identify and block neo-Nazi and other radical communities on their platforms. Senators are also wondering if companies are willing to regularly release reports of inappropriate player bans. In addition, they are asked to disclose the size of the teams that handle gamer complaints and how they work.
The reason for the appeal of the senators was report Anti-Defamation League, whose members analyzed the behavior of gamers in online games and on playgrounds. As a result, representatives of the organization concluded that in 2022 the number of extremist, hateful, toxic and similar discussions, communities and players has increased significantly. Teenagers aged 10-17 became the main audience for disseminating such views, but adults also came under pressure.