The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has raised concerns regarding the presence of extremist content on Valve’s Steam platform, suggesting that the company is inadvertently facilitating the spread of hate. According to a recent report highlighted by Eurogamer, the ADL identified over 1.8 million distinct instances of extremist or hateful material circulating within the gaming community. This staggering figure encompasses contributions from more than 1.5 million users and 73,824 groups, all of whom have utilized at least one symbol, phrase, or keyword associated with extremist ideologies.
Content Moderation Challenges
The report points to various forms of hate speech, including antisemitic rhetoric, white supremacy, and Nazi iconography, which have found a place on the platform. While the ADL asserts that Valve lacks clear public policies to combat such content, this assertion is somewhat misleading. Valve does have guidelines in place; however, the enforcement of these policies appears to be inconsistent.
The ADL notes that although Steam possesses the technical capabilities to moderate harmful content, the company’s lenient stance on content policy has allowed extremist ideologies to flourish. “In rare notable cases, Steam has selectively removed extremist content, largely based around extremist groups publicized in reporting or in response to governmental pressure,” the organization stated. Yet, these actions seem to be sporadic rather than part of a comprehensive strategy.
To effectively tackle the issue of hate and extremism, the ADL urges Valve to implement substantial changes in its governance approach. This would involve not only refining their policies but also enhancing their practical measures to systematically address the proliferation of hate on the Steam platform.
