Over the past three months of research, it has been found that video games are being used to spread anti-Semitic ideology, racism and hatred against homosexuals.
There is a chat about this on live streaming services like Dlive and Odyssey.
In these places there is a conversation about video games like Call of Duty and Minecraft.
The conversation is later shifted to private messaging apps like Telegram.
People working in this field say that the inclusion of extremist-related narratives in daily conversations can lead to people’s inclination towards extremism.
- Platforms like Roblox and Minecraft are being used
Researchers also found that games in which the player can choose his role or can modify according to his environment are being used for such tasks.
These include platforms and game creation systems such as Roblox and Minecraft. These places house Nazi concentration camps and prepared camps for China’s Weigar Muslims.
In a game of Roblox, the player is asked to play the role of a racist person, in which he can crush minorities with his car.
Jacob Dewey of the Institute of Strategic Dialogue said, “They are not used by many people, but the extremist can live out their extremist fantasies online by creating a role for them
- Gaming companies claim – ready to stop abuse
Roblox has to say about this, “We have two thousand moderators and technology, who work continuously round the clock to keep the platform secure. We try to keep the conversation civil and courteous. Even if the content is seen, then we also act on it immediately.
At the same time, Minecraft has said, “We have a complete ban on content related to terrorism and violence. This is against our policy and standard. If any such content comes on our system, we will remove it from there.” take immediate steps for it.
However, researchers say that after strict enforcement of rules on social media, extremists seem to have turned to gaming sites.
To this, Dewey said, “The extremists have found this safe place to spread their ideology or they can say that they can use the old methods of propaganda here.”
He says, “Through online gaming, one can meet people of their kind who have similar hobbies. This includes people of extremist ideology. Through this they can connect with like-minded people. We can establish ties, which can become stronger in the future. This becomes important because it can further the extremist ideology around the world.”
- politics on the pretext of games
Joe Mulhall of Hope Not Hate, an anti-fascist organization, says, “Once you become a part of this world, bigotry sets in. Then you start joining small groups in other meetings, not necessarily playing games but talking openly about politics.”
In response to the BBC’s question, Telegram said that they actively monitor this matter and remove such content. However, Delicious and Odyssey did not react.
Both say that their policies are strict towards hate and violent extremism and they take the initiative in removing content that violates the guidelines.
Joe Mulhal told that after school or work, when you sit at home and play games, then all this seems normal in the game. But you don’t realize how dangerous it can be.
- Use of less visible places
The Royal United Services Institute is part of a group of experts in combating terrorism. It has launched a massive investigation into online gaming to combat extremism.
Dr. Jessica White, a member of the Defense Affairs think tank, said, “Online and chat spaces, where these things are less monitored, are being slowly taken over by extremists. However, we need to gather facts on this matter. is needed.”
The government is also in consultation with the gaming industry to stop the misuse of gaming space by extremists.
The organization associated with Britain’s gaming industry says that they use artificial intelligence (AI) to stop this and are also in constant contact with government agencies, so that gamers can be kept safe.
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