harrassment
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Bungie responds to report on its lackluster efforts to improve workplace culture
In response to a story from IGN reporting on years of systematic sexism and workplace harassment at the studio, Parsons has published an apology letter.
Six state treasurers want Activision Blizzard to address its toxic workplace culture
State treasurers from California, Massachusetts, Illinois, Oregon, Delaware and Nevada recently contacted the company’s board of directors to discuss its “response to the challenges and investment risk exposures that face Activision.”
Nintendo of America head responds to 'distressing' situation at Activision Blizzard
In an internal company email obtained by Fanbyte, Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser says he was distressed by the allegations detailed in The Journal's investigation.
Twitch sues two 'hate raiders' linked to automated harassment campaigns
For much of the last month and a half, Twitch has fought a losing battle against a phenomenon called “hate raids.”
Twitter says it's better at spotting abusive tweets than users
Twitter says it has achieved a major milestone in its attempts to improve the "health" of its platform. According to the company's most recent earnings report, 50 percent of abusive tweets removed this past quarter were pulled before a user even flagged the content. That's up from 38 percent in Q1. Twitter adds that it achieved the milestone on the back of improvements it made to its machine learning-based moderation algorithms, which in turn forward more tweets to the company's employees to scrutinize.
'Night in the Woods' studio cuts ties with co-founder Alec Holowka
The team behind the popular indie adventure game Night in the Woods has cut ties with game developer Alec Holowka following allegations of harassment and abuse from fellow game maker and former romantic partner Zoë Quinn. A planned physical release for the title from Limited Run games has been postponed and an unnamed project being worked on by the team has been cancelled, according to the development team. An iOS port of Night in the Woods remains in progress.
Silicon Valley’s Brett Kavanaugh problem
As we steel ourselves to careen numbly toward whatever new horrors lay in store with Trump, his Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh, and the conservative politicians willing to help them, it's impossible not to contemplate how deep and depraved the culture of silence actually goes here. USA Today wrote: "When Kavanaugh gave a speech in 2015 at Catholic University's Columbus School of Law and stated, 'What happens at Georgetown Prep stays at Georgetown Prep. That's been a good thing for all of us, I think,' he summed up the culture perfectly (...) It was their job to protect each other from their misdeeds no matter how big or alcohol-fueled. The boys kept each other's secrets."
Twitter wants to ‘increase the health of public conversation’
Twitter doesn't only want to be more transparent about the toxic content on its site, it also wants to be more proactive about removing it altogether. Speaking to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce today, as part of a hearing titled "Twitter: Transparency and Accountability," CEO Jack Dorsey said that his company's singular objective is to "increase the health of public conversation." But he said this isn't just about spotting and removing abusive content like harassment, or blocking suspicious accounts. It's also about doing so in a timely, more proactive manner. As it stands, Dorsey said, Twitter relies heavily on users reporting others' bad behavior and that simply needs to change.
Ruby Rose is the latest celebrity driven off Twitter by abuse
It's only been a few days since Ruby Rose was cast as "Batwoman" for the CW series Arrowverse, but the Australian actor has already had to quit Twitter after a stream of abusive messages. Much of the backlash has focused on accusations that Rose -- who identifies as gender fluid and is a prominent LGBTQ activist -- isn't "gay enough" to play the role of Kate Kane (aka Batwoman) who is a lesbian in the comic books. Some others took issue with the fact that, unlike the character in the comics, Rose isn't Jewish. Still others simply questioned her acting ability, leading to the creation of #recastbatwoman campaign on social media.
Twitter doesn’t have the spine to ban Alex Jones
It seems like every major tech company has had enough of Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist and propagandist behind the controversial far-right site InfoWars. Well, almost everyone. The obvious holdout: Twitter. On Monday, Twitter said InfoWars and its associated accounts, including Jones', were not currently violating its rules. And last night its CEO and co-founder, Jack Dorsey, tried to explain the decision. He said Twitter is going to "hold Jones to the same standard we hold to every account," but that it isn't "taking one-off actions to make us feel good in the short term, and adding fuel to new conspiracy theories."
Facebook knows it must do more to fight bad actors
Not everything at SXSW 2018 was about films or gadgets. A few blocks away from the Austin Convention Center, where the event is being held, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) hosted a number of panels for its Innovation Policy Day. In a session dubbed "Fighting Terror with Tech," Facebook's Lead Policy Manager of Counterterrorism, Brian Fishman, spoke at great length about what the company is doing to keep bad actors away from its platform. That doesn't only include terrorists who may be using the site to communicate, or to try to radicalize others, but also trolls, bots and the spreading of hate speech and fake news.
Amazon Studios head resigns after sexual harassment allegations
A few days ago, Amazon suspended the VP leading its film and TV projects after Isa Dick Hackett told The Hollywood Reporter that Roy Price sexually harassed her. Now, CNN and others report that the exec has "resigned." Hackett is the producer on two Amazon adaptations of her father's (Philip K. Dick) work, and THR reported that Price "repeatedly and insistently propositioned her." However, this was not the first time that statement came to light, as The Information reported an Amazon investigation into the matter back in August. Hackett went on the record with THR, saying she was inspired after women shared stories of harassment and assault by Harvey Weinstein. Actress Rose McGowan spoke out against both men, tweeting to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos that when she told Price that Weinstein had raped her (he was suggested as a producer for her show), Price ignored her. Now Price is gone and Weinstein today left the board of his film company.
#WomenBoycottTwitter protest spreads across social media
Twitter has been home to many hashtag campaigns, but tonight one is trending that's a little different: #WomenBoycottTwitter. Sparked by its "temporary lock" of Rose McGowan's account yesterday, the movement's purpose is to go dark "In solidarity w @rosemcgowan and all the victims of hate and harassment Twitter fails to support." Participants include fellow celebrities, women who have experienced harassment online and men who support its cause.
Kesha's internet advice: Don't read the comments
Online bullying is a problem for many of us who use the internet, but it's an especially pressing issue for young people. It's a subject pop star Kesha understands well, having been bullied herself and working as an anti-bullying advocate. Here at SXSW Interactive, the musician sat down for a talk about reclaiming the internet, where she delved into her own issues with social networks (and also, unrelatedly, her love of animals).
Silicon Valley execs highlight tech's equality problem
Silicon Valley is slowly taking steps to address its diversity and equality issues, but oftentimes this problem is spoken as if just hiring from a wider pool of people will solve everything. There is another issue, which is centered around the toxic bro culture that appears to permeate swathes of the technology industry. That's why a group of prominent women decided to conduct a survey that highlights the indignities that they face on a regular basis. The project polled around 200 people, each of whom has at least 10 years experience in the technology industry, and the results make you wonder if we're still living in the 1950s.
Breakfast Topic: Do you report problem behavior in game?
Nobody likes a snitch, but let's face it: Unless players are willing to report bad behavior and spammers, our virtual world is going to remain uglier than it has to be. True, filing a report isn't always simple or convenient. It's often simpler to ignore or /ignore bad behavior and move on. Ideally, we'd all shoulder some of the responsibility of keeping our online community balanced and clean. Even in the best of circumstances, though, being the squeaky wheel is no fun. Whiner, snitch, tattletale -- there seem to be plenty of labels for players who are simply letting Blizzard know that another player is breaking the rules. Thing is, it's up to us to get that job done. Blizzard can't be everywhere at once, but we can -- and are. Do you take the time to report problem behavior in game? If so, do you tend to stick to cases of personal harrassment? Do you bother to report spammers? What about problem players in the dungeon finder or raid finder -- do you let a kick "take care" of them, or do you follow up with a report?
