Video game giant Valve is in chaos. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has just released a damning report on Steam, the world’s largest video game distribution platform. The organization revealed that it had discovered more than 1.8 million instances of extremist or hateful content on the platform.
This first-of-its-kind analysis sifted through more than 458 million user profiles, 152 million profile pictures and group avatars, and 610 million comments on Steam. The results are shocking: Nazi symbols, anti-Semitic messages, and even expressions of support for terrorist groups Groups such as ISIS and Hamas have been found on the platform.
The survey highlighted the use of Over 184,000 extremist keywordsas” Chapter 1488 ” or” white goods ”. Even more worryingly, approximately 1.5 million unique users and more than 73,000 groups reportedly shared at least one example of potentially extremist or hateful content.
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Are Valve’s audits effective enough?
Although Valve has official guidelines prohibiting hate speech, the ADL pointed out that the company’s moderation system is ineffective. “ Keyword detection tools are easily bypassed ”, the report states, emphasizing that users can simply Use modified ASCII characters to evade detection.
Daniel Kelley, director of strategy at ADL’s Center for Technology and Society, warned: “ Major video game companies increase the risk of radicalization by selling their products on platforms that do not address user support for extremists ».
The ADL calls on Valve to take specific actions: Strengthen counter-extremism policies, improve moderation practices, and engage with civil society and researchers. The organization also recommended a comprehensive review of the moderation system to plug existing loopholes.
Valve has yet to formally respond to these serious accusations. This situation clearly raises important questions about the responsibilities of digital platforms in combating the spread of hateful and extremist content.
