Content Moderation
Ongoing coverage on Content Moderation.
Latest coverage
Valve Reverses Nighthawks Rating After Developer Appeal
Valve has reversed the 'Adult Only' rating applied to the vampire RPG Nighthawks, allowing it to launch on Steam on September 22. The rating had restricted the game's visibility on the storefront. Wadjet Eye Games appealed the decision, which also brought increased attention and wishlists for the title.
"Valve is under the impression that this game is way sexier": Nighthawks devs claim vampire RPG has erroneously been slapped with Steam adult content label
The vampire RPG Nighthawks has been incorrectly labeled as adult content by Valve, preventing it from appearing in Steam searches and causing its removal in some countries. Developers Wadjet Eye Games and Richard Cobbett are working with Valve to rectify the classification, which they believe is a misinterpretation of the game's mature themes and limited explicit content.
"I'm desperately looking for anybody who knows anybody at Valve": open world satire Future? No Thanks! is still locked in Steam horny jail
The open-world satire Future? No Thanks! by Molleindustria is facing significant visibility issues on Steam due to Valve's content moderation policies regarding nudity, despite the removal of explicit content. Creator Paolo Pedercini reports the game is misclassified as pornography, making it invisible to most users and geo-locked in Germany, even after receiving age ratings from official bodies. Pedercini expressed frustration, highlighting the surreal experience and seeking direct communication with Valve to resolve the situation.
Bluesky has a new setting to help you avoid accidentally going viral
Bluesky has introduced a new setting that allows users to prevent their posts from appearing in the platform's algorithmic 'discover' feed. This feature aims to give users more control over their content's reach and prevent accidental virality.
"This has been the most humiliating and surreal experience in 20+ years of game making": Dev pleads with Valve as Steam brands his PEGI 12 game as pornography
Developer Molleindustria is experiencing a "humiliating and surreal" situation as Valve has classified their teen-rated game, Future? No Thanks!, as pornography, making it largely invisible on Steam. Despite removing a mild sex scene, the game retains an adult-only label, impacting its visibility and availability, particularly in Germany. The developer is seeking assistance to understand Valve's decision and resolve the classification issue.
Roblox put a stop to games that include rewards for endless, TikTok-style scrolling, if you're under the age of 16 anyway
Roblox has implemented new restrictions on games that offer rewards for engaging with endless, TikTok-style scrolling feeds, particularly for users under 16. This change follows the removal of the popular game 'Steal an Egg,' which featured such mechanics. The platform stated that rewarding users for continuous content consumption without natural stopping points is inappropriate for younger audiences.
Roblox takes down controversial doomscrolling game, promises to remove others that reward watching "a continuous feed of content" as they're "not appropriate for younger users"
Roblox has removed the controversial game "Steal an Egg" and is implementing a new policy against games that reward users for watching continuous feeds of content, such as short-form videos. The company stated that such content is not appropriate for younger users on its platform. This decision has been met with positive feedback from the community.
Roblox makes three of its AI safety tools open source
Roblox is open-sourcing three of its AI safety tools, including a PII classifier and a voice safety classifier, through the Robust Open Online Safety Tools Model Community (ROOST), which it co-founded with Google, OpenAI, and Discord. These tools are already deployed on Roblox's platform and aim to help other companies improve their online safety measures. This move comes as Roblox faces scrutiny from the US Senate regarding its child safety practices.
"Steam is a monopoly with very few precedents," says dev of game inexplicably flagged as adult-only by Valve: "As a developer, I'm completely at their whim"
The creator of the game Future? No Thanks! has criticized Valve's Steam platform, calling it a monopoly with opaque rules that leave developers at its mercy. The game was repeatedly flagged as adult-only without clear reasoning, despite containing mature themes rather than explicit content. This situation highlights ongoing concerns about Valve's content moderation policies and its dominant position in the PC gaming market.
AI Fruit Gore Is Sliding Into Kids’ Feeds, and Researchers Say It Carries Extremism With It
A new analysis from the Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET) reveals that AI-generated fruit content on social media is increasingly being used to spread violent and extremist material, particularly targeting young audiences. While the report highlights the slide from harmless content to graphic violence and ideological messaging, it also notes caveats regarding the research methodology and the funding source of GNET.
Fenris Creations’ fumbled moderation of an alleged EVE Online RMT streamer frustrates fans
EVE Online players are frustrated with CCP Games' handling of streamer Lorumerth's alleged real money trading activities. CCP Swift admitted to not providing full context to the moderation team, leading to a punishment that only addressed giveaway policy violations and not the exchange of spaceships for money. Players are disappointed with the perceived leniency towards an influencer.
Google will now allow users to remove visible watermarks from AI content
Google will now allow users to remove visible watermarks from AI-generated content, though the invisible SynthID watermark will remain. This policy change affects how AI-generated media is identified and shared.
Telegram keeps getting yanked from the App Store. X never does — here’s why
Apple's App Store moderation policies appear to be applied inconsistently, with Telegram being removed for child sexual abuse material while X faced no delisting for similar deepfake content generated by its AI chatbot, Grok. This disparity is attributed to X's stronger political support in the US and a more direct engagement from Apple with its developers, including Elon Musk, compared to Telegram.
Morning Metaverse
Larian Studios experienced brief content removal from YouTube and TikTok due to alleged 'demonic smut' violations, with a spokesperson for Perez Hilton stating their TikTok livestream was kept up due to moderator error. The article touches on content moderation issues across platforms.
When the Bots Purge the Archive: Reddit’s AI Moderation Erased a Decade of r/AskHistorians Work
Reddit's AI moderation system has caused significant issues, including the deletion of a decade's worth of content from the r/AskHistorians subreddit, mistakenly flagging historical image links as spam. Similar problems have occurred on Discord, where AI incorrectly banned thousands of users for posting images of chessboards, and Meta platforms have faced complaints about AI-driven bans. These incidents highlight the risks of over-reliance on automated systems without sufficient human oversight, particularly concerning false positives that disproportionately affect marginalized communities and silence valuable contributions.
Baldur's Gate 3's official livestream gets banned on YouTube and TikTok. Why? "Demon sex."
Larian Studios' official Baldur's Gate 3 livestream, featuring Senior Communications Director Aoife Wilson playing the Dark Urge origin, was banned on YouTube and TikTok due to 'Body Exposure and Sexualized Behaviors.' The ban occurred during a scene involving an Incubus character. Despite the bans, the team, including Publishing Director Michael Douse, took the incident with humor, viewing it as a badge of honor.
"Baldur's Gate 3 is now cancelled": Larian stream smacked down over "violation" for "Body Exposure and Sexualized Behaviors," which feels like high praise for an RPG
Larian Studios' livestream of Baldur's Gate 3 was discontinued on YouTube due to a violation for 'Body Exposure and Sexualized Behaviors' during a playthrough featuring demonic characters. Publishing director Michael Douse shared the notice, humorously noting the cancellation on the game's third anniversary. The stream remains available on Twitch, with the developer attributing the issue to potential mod interference or a setting error.
Telegram CEO says 'takedown extortionist' was responsible for the app being briefly delisted by Apple
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov claims that a 'takedown extortionist' was responsible for the app being briefly removed from the Apple App Store. Durov stated this incident highlights a potential systemic risk for platforms that host user-generated content.
Developer of 'Spanking Exorcist' game held up by Steam content moderation releases free 'apology game' where you spank him as punishment: 'We would be delighted if you enjoy it'
The developer of the game 'Spanking Exorcist', known as Actor, has released a free 'apology game' where players can simulate spanking the developer. This was done after the original game's release was delayed due to Steam's content moderation policies. 'Spanking Exorcist' has since been released on Steam.
Saturday Metaverse
A leak has surfaced regarding 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day', with the article humorously noting the owner of X's resources. Separately, YouTube is reportedly cracking down on ASMR content.