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- Carl Miller
- BBC-click
The BBC discovered through the Click program that extremists use popular video games and chat platforms in these games to spread hatred.
Over a three-month period, researchers found examples of anti-Semitism, racism, and homophobia on some platforms, including D-Live and Odyssey, where users stream and chat during games such as Call of Duty and Minecraft. .
Activists say including extremist rhetoric in daily discussions could be a path to radicalization.
These chats are then forwarded to other electronic spaces, such as private Telegram channels.
“Once you step into this world, extremism starts to happen,” said Joe Mulhall of the anti-fascist organization Hope Not Hate.
“When you start joining other online meetings, or smaller groups that don’t necessarily play video games, the policy rhetoric becomes clearer,” he adds.
In response, Telegram told BBC News it was using “a combination of proactive monitoring of public spaces with user reports” to remove content that violates its terms of service.
D-Live and Odyssey did not respond to BBC News requests for comment.
The policies of both of these platforms indicate zero tolerance for hate and violent extremism, and they say they are proactive in removing any content that violates the guidelines.
“The measures we have taken to tackle racist behavior include banning players for racist and hateful names, using new technologies and making it easier for players to report aggressive behavior in the game,” said Call of Duty.
But researchers have also found that extreme “role-playing” scenarios in some games on different platforms allow players to create and share their own maps and environments with others.
These included Nazi concentration camps and a Uyghur concentration camp in games such as Roblox and Minecraft.
A popular Roblox game called on players to “get racist” and fake the murder of people from ethnic minorities by running them over with a car.
“These are little games and not many people play them, but they allow extremists to create role-playing experiences … to live out extremist fantasies online,” said Jacob Davey of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
“We work tirelessly to ensure that our platform remains a safe and civil place, and we monitor security with a mix of machine learning software and a technical team of over 2,000 moderators, working 24/7. / 7 to detect and respond quickly to any inappropriate content or behavior, “Roblox said.”
“Terrorist or violent extremist content is strictly prohibited by our community standards, and we take steps to remove such content if it appears on our systems,” Minecraft said.
But extremists may have taken refuge in gambling halls after social media giants tightened enforcement of their rules, researchers say.
“It is possible that the far right will find a safe haven to spread its ideology, or engage in more traditional propaganda, or any of the things it did a few years ago on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. “said Davey.
“Online games are basically a way for people to communicate through an online shared hobby, and that includes extremists,” he added.
“It’s a way to connect with like-minded people, to socialize and ultimately to forge stronger social bonds, which can be very important for strengthening extremist movements around the world,” a- he declared.
“You sit at home after school and play games, and the gaming element can create a feeling that what’s going on is normal, not extreme or dangerous,” Mulhall said.
The Royal United Services Institute is part of a team of counter-extremism experts who have launched a large-scale investigation into online gambling.
Dr Jessica White, who works at the Defense Research Center, said: “Internet chat rooms where there is less moderation are increasingly being exploited by extremists. But we need to get general evidence of their magnitude.
protect players
The government is in talks with industry bodies to discuss measures to combat the exploitation of gambling spaces by extremists.
A representative from the UK Toy Trade Authority said: “We use sophisticated, moderate artificial intelligence tools and trained community managers to build safe spaces.”
“We are also working closely with the government and law enforcement agencies to provide more protection for players.”
“We know that the challenges we face are shared by other forms of digital entertainment, and we continue to take a positive and proactive approach to protect gamers.”
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