Valve must address swastikas and other hate on Steam, writes US senator in a letter to Gabe Newell - eviltoast

In the letter, Democrat senator Mark Warner argues that Valve’s content moderation doesn’t meet industry standards, and says he wants Valve to “crack down on the rampant proliferation of hate-based content”.

The exact hateful stuff he’s talking about was highlighted in that report by the Anti-Defamation League last week. Its many findings include swastikas in profile pictures, antisemitic images such as the “happy merchant”, and instances of Pepe the frog, a meme appropriated by the far right that - let’s be honest - has never washed the stink off. Steam is “inundated with hate” as a result of these findings, say the anti-discrimination group.

While the simmering bubbles of fascism won’t be news to the average Steam user (or average internet user, to be frank) that doesn’t mean we ought to get complacent about them. It’s proof, says senator Warner, that Valve is lacking good moderation.

  • Megaman_EXE@beehaw.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    19
    ·
    edit-2
    10 hours ago

    I think the issue is possibly rooted deeper than just usage on steam. I mean I know steam could/SHOULD do more to fight it, but I mean…has said US senator looked at the newly elected government and the people that voted for said government? I mean damn dude.

    The rot is deep and is very soon going to be considered “default” behavior.

      • Megaman_EXE@beehaw.org
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        11 minutes ago

        Yeah I mean, idk what happened there. Brain wasn’t computing well I guess.

        But for real I really don’t know. I’ve noticed that happens with me sometimes where I’ll repeat phrases in a single post