Gaming giant Electronic Arts has joined the cause to fight against toxicity in gaming with a new patent aimed at reducing players’ exposure to toxic communications. EA joins the multitude of major gaming publishers and distributors that have been working away at new technology that will help reduce or eliminate toxicity in gaming culture. This effort is meant to make gaming culture more positive and inclusive.
For as long as there has been online gaming, unfortunately, there has also been harassment, particularly because lack of face-to-face interaction tends to bolster the so-called bravery of those who perpetrate it. But mitigating online harassment is a much trickier business than one would assume, especially when considering free speech, and more importantly, context. What is considered offensive is entirely contextual, so it isn’t enough to ban a player for using foul language if the system is unaware that the other players in their group are friends who do not take issue with it. Amazon, for its part, has made steps in patenting technology that wouldn’t ban players who are considered offensive, but rather group them together so that other players don’t have to deal with them. Electronic Arts, on the other hand, is focusing more on the context than the content, by changing the way the content is delivered.
Content retrieved from: https://screenrant.com/electronic-arts-end-toxic-voice-chat-new-patent/.