The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is at it again. And this time, the organization’s harassment is aimed at “radicalization” in gaming.
In recent weeks, gamers have been in the headlines for being monitored by federal officials as possible terrorists and for being doxed for complaining about the injection of woke ideology into games.
Recently, more than 200,000 gamers signed a petition calling for a boycott of Sweet Baby Inc. products.
Sweet Baby Inc. is a video game consultation studio providing multiple games with storyline and character development guidance.
According to a report in the Western Journal, the petition stemmed from significant user dissatisfaction, which was reportedly traced to content guidance from Sweet Baby Inc.
The petition encouraged a group on Steam “[t]o encourage people to avoid those games because the group had deemed SBI was pushing a ‘woke’ agenda by working toward greater diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
According to a previous report in the Western Journal, the Sweet Baby Inc.
founder’s stated goal was to inject wokeness into products.
Mariana Olaizola Rosenblat, a policy advisor on technology and law at the Center for Business and Human Rights at the New York University Stern School of Business, is defending Sweet Baby Inc.
In an Op-Ed piece published by The Hill, Rosenblat argued that America should follow the European Union model and better regulate social media platforms.
She added that “online games should be part of the regulatory discussion.”
Surprising nobody, the ADL supports Rosenblat’s recommendation for federal regulation and monitoring gamers.
The ADL recently posted: “As digital social spaces, online games should be regulated to address hate & extremism.”
As digital social spaces, online games should be regulated to address hate & extremism. It’s vital for Congress to examine extremist radicalization in these spaces & we are grateful to @RepLoriTrahan for leading this effort. An important piece to read: https://t.co/LJpLgJSTcB
— ADL (@ADL) March 14, 2024
Regarding federal monitoring, BizPac Review Business & Politics reported that a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) “revealed a collaboration between federal agencies and tech companies to essentially throttle some information sources and monitor for extremism.”
Casting gamers as potential terrorists, the GAO reported: “Domestic violent extremists use social media and gaming platforms for several purposes, including to reach wide audiences; to insert their extremist ideas into the mainstream; and to radicalize, recruit, and mobilize others.”
The Foundation for Freedom organization confirmed that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is working with technology companies to censor content.
An excerpt from their report read: “USAID has been quietly pushing private sector technology companies, media organizations, education ministries, national governments and funding bodies to adopt social media censorship practices, according to newly revealed internal documents.”
Clownfish TV’s video expose claimed that “gamers are under attack” and that the ADL has become weaponized for political purposes.
Echoing concerns, The Quartering claimed, “gamers are the most oppressed group on the planet” and that the ADL and FBI targeting represents “oppression.”
