A Commitment to Enhancing Safety in Gaming
In an era where gaming is increasingly becoming a universal pastime, Nintendo, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and Microsoft are joining forces to ensure a safer environment for players across all platforms. We firmly believe that gaming should be an inclusive activity that brings joy to everyone, particularly our younger audience. To achieve this goal, we employ a comprehensive strategy that combines cutting-edge technology, insights grounded in research, community support initiatives, and expert human oversight.
Since we first unveiled our collaborative commitment to player safety in 2020 (https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/12/14/shared-safety-principles/), we have been actively working together with Nintendo and Sony Interactive Entertainment behind the scenes. Our partnership stems from the understanding that together, we can make a more significant impact in creating safer gaming experiences. As we continue to evolve our strategies and invest in new approaches to player safety, we have also updated our shared principles. These principles reflect our ongoing dedication to protecting our gaming communities and embrace innovations in safety that keep pace with technological developments, along with new collaborative efforts initiated through key industry partnerships and trade associations.
Empowerment: Enabling Players and Parents to Shape Their Gaming Experiences
- We offer customizable controls that allow players to tailor their gaming environments to their preferences. Additionally, we provide parents with essential tools and information to help them curate appropriate gaming experiences for their children.
- Understanding that safety features must be user-friendly to be effective, we strive to ensure that our safety tools are easily accessible and comprehensible. We promote these resources and offer guidance on their usage across our platforms, support channels, services, websites, and even retail locations to reach a broader audience of players and parents.
- We make it a priority to educate our players and their guardians about our codes of conduct and terms of use, which support positive gaming interactions for all. We enforce these guidelines through various preventive measures and remedial actions. By designing our products with transparency and player empowerment as core principles, we aim to cultivate intuitive experiences that respect player choices.
Collaboration: Partnering with Peers and Communities for Safer Gaming
- Our unwavering commitment to safety is at the forefront of our mission, as we recognize that collaboration enhances the video game industry as a whole by creating safer gaming experiences for all.
- We actively engage with global and regional industry trade organizations, fellow industry members, regulatory bodies, law enforcement agencies, non-profits, and experts to develop and promote online safety initiatives. Notable collaborations include partnerships with organizations such as the Thriving in Games Group (https://thrivingingames.org/) and the Family Online Safety Institute (https://fosi.org/).
- We conduct joint research to guide policy-making and drive innovation within the industry. Each company has also reached out to external research institutions focused on studying play and overall well-being.
- By partnering with our communities, we advocate for responsible gaming behavior and promote the use of reporting tools to identify harmful actors. We have established mechanisms to enable rapid responses to emerging issues.
- Collaborating with rating organizations like the ESRB (https://www.esrb.org/) and PEGI (https://pegi.info/), among others, ensures that our games are appropriately rated for their intended audiences. We also work closely with the Entertainment Software Association and other trade organizations to share trust and safety information (https://www.theesa.com/trust-safety/) designed to educate and foster positive gaming experiences.
- We invest in leading-edge technology and proactive partnerships to combat inappropriate behavior and content. Our involvement in crucial industry initiatives, such as the Tech Coalition (https://technologycoalition.org/) and its Lantern (https://technologycoalition.org/programs/lantern/) program, is dedicated to enhancing child safety through technology, knowledge-sharing, and maintaining transparency.
Accountability: Ensuring Our Platforms Are Safe for All Users
- We simplify the process for players to report violations of our codes of conduct and community guidelines, which we continually refine to better serve our player communities.
- Beyond removing unsuitable content, we take appropriate enforcement actions against violators, including restricting access to our services for misconduct, with increasing penalties for serious or repeated infractions. Our practices are grounded in responsibility and transparency, ensuring ethical data usage while utilizing advanced technologies under skilled human oversight.
- We adhere to all relevant laws in the regions we operate, responding promptly to legitimate law enforcement requests. If we observe unlawful activities or suspect a player may be in immediate danger, we notify law enforcement without delay.
- We clearly publish our rules and requirements, making sure that players who have been reported understand what is necessary for continued participation in our platforms.
This collaboration underscores our commitment to finding solutions that enhance player safety, ensuring our games remain welcoming to everyone. The video game industry has a rich history of prioritizing the safety of its players, especially children. However, we recognize that addressing these challenges requires a collective effort and shared values, and we invite others to join us in championing the safety and well-being of players everywhere.
