Antisemitism is being spread through video games, research shows

According to BBC Click, antisemitism and other forms of hate, including racism towards other groups and homophobia, is being spread through video games.

Examples of such hate were found on the streaming platforms DLive and Odysee where players can stream themselves playing games like Call of Duty, Roblox and Minecraft whilst chatting with other users.

In Minecraft, an adventure game where users can build and create new environments, it was discovered that a user had built a Nazi concentration camp. It was also reported that in the game Roblox, a user had invited other users into a driving game where they could “become a racist” by running over and killing non-white characters.

A spokesperson for Minecraft said: “Terrorist or violent extremist content is strictly forbidden by our community standards and we take action to remove such content if it appears on our systems.”

Roblox spokespeople similarly condemned such actions, stating: “We work relentlessly to ensure our platform remains a safe and civil space, and with a combination of machine learning and a team of over 2,000 moderators, we monitor for safety 24-7 to detect and swiftly act on any inappropriate content or behaviour.” A spokesperson for Call of Duty said: “The actions we have taken to confront racist behaviour include banning players for racist and hate-oriented names, implementing new technology and making it easier for players to report offensive in-game behaviour.”

It was also said that these conversations can then move onto the social media platform, Telegram. In March, we reported that the far-right group Patriotic Alternative was using Telegram to create neo-Nazi channels dedicated to share vile messages, antisemitic conspiracy theories and images glorifying Hitler.