Online games struggle to rein in hateful usernames, report finds
Usernames that include racist, misogynistic, antisemitic, anti-LGBTQ+, ableist and white supremacist terms go unmoderated on some of the most popular online games, according to a report published Monday by the Anti-Defamation League.
Usernames that include racist, misogynistic, antisemitic, anti-LGBTQ+, ableist and white supremacist terms go unmoderated on some of the most popular online games, according to a report published Monday by the Anti-Defamation League.
The report from the ADL Center for Technology and Society said usernames were one of the easiest pieces of content to moderate, since they’re screened by the registration system when an account is created. The companies’ failures to moderate hateful messaging in one of the first and most identifiable places indicates that gaming companies have not been doing enough to address hate and extremism on their platforms, according to the report.
On multiplayer games, usernames are clearly displayed to other players, and offensive names have been a tool to create a hateful and hostile gaming environment, the ADL said.
“Online games are one of the most important and potent digital social spaces for building connection and finding community,” said Daniel Kelley, director of strategy and operations at the ADL Center for Technology and Society. “Unfortunately, what game companies say they are doing to fight hate in these spaces and what we are finding in our research contradict one another.”
The report adds to a growing body of research that shows that online games have been used to spread extremist ideas and images. The ADL’s annual reports on extremism found a rise in hate and harassment in online games in the last four years. ADL’s 2022 survey collected responses from more than 2,000 Americans and found that the majority of adults and teens experienced hate and harassment while playing online games.
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