Gaming companies are sharing gamers’ user information with the government to root out so-called domestic violent extremists.

Gaming companies are coordinating with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security to root out so-called domestic violent extremist content, according to a new government report. Noting that mechanisms have been established with social media companies to police extremism, the report recommends that the national security agencies establish new and similar processes with the vast gaming industry.

The exact nature of the cooperation between federal agencies and video game companies, which has not been previously reported, is detailed in a new Government Accountability Office report. The report draws on interviews conducted with five gaming and social media companies including Roblox, an online gaming platform; Discord, a social media app commonly used by gamers; Reddit; as well as a game publisher and social media company that asked the GAO to remain anonymous.

The Anti-Defamation League has testified to Congress multiple times about extremists’ use of gaming platforms. In 2019, ADL’s then-senior vice president of international affairs, Sharon Nazarian, was asked by Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., if gaming platforms “are monitored” and if there’s “a way AI can be employed to identify those sorts of conversations.”

  • Fizz@lemmy.nzEnglish
    0·
    9 months ago

    Its times like this I wish I used matrix instead of discord. Even though my friends and I are not extremists you can definitely make us look like extremists if you took jokes out of context.

      • Fizz@lemmy.nzEnglish
        0·
        9 months ago

        There are plenty of jokes that look bad if you strip away the intention and context. They aren’t bad or offensive jokes they just seem offensive if you take them out of context and present them in a different way.

        For example this shane gills joke looks bad “That’s the thing about these countries, England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia. No Black people.” but when you add the next part it makes it funny.

        “And I know what you’re thinking. No, you need Black people to keep the whites in check. The last thing you want is a whole island of whites that think they’re the coolest people on earth. A disaster. That’s how you end up with Conor McGregors walking around.The foreign whites are out of control.”

        • Carighan Maconar@lemmy.worldEnglish
          0·
          9 months ago

          There are plenty of jokes that look bad if you strip away the intention and context. They aren’t bad or offensive jokes they just seem offensive if you take them out of context and present them in a different way.

          Yes, and as humans we are quite able to understand that we should not immediately suspect anybody who says something without any context, assuming in the situation we know we are lacking the content.

          Tell me, what makes you look more suspect to a federal agency:

          • The odd (frankly pretty bad, but then it’s by Shane Gills so that was expected) joke that lacking context could in theory be interpreted as a racial diss?
          • Encrypting and hiding all your chat traffic?
          • Fizz@lemmy.nzEnglish
            1·
            8 months ago

            This is exactly the problem. The fbi shouldn’t be able to snoop on you based off suspicion. I can encrypt every thing and be as edgy as I want and they still shouldn’t pull my discord message history because they have no reason to suspect I’ve committed a crime or am going to commit a crime.