The 12 Days of Action Dirty Dozen List campaign is almost over! Your final target, Steam, is one that you are likely already familiar with as it has been listed on NCOSE’s Dirty Dozen List for the second time in a row this year.
Steam is the largest online gaming platform hosting gamers from all over the world, including more than 35 million minors. It is widely known amongst gamers for giving its users access to action games, sports games, strategy games, and more. However, Steam also offers and even promotes games that depict rape, sexual violence, exhibitionism, pornography, and other forms of sexual exploitation.
Last year, after receiving emails from NCOSE supporters like you, Steam began reaching out to video game developers and asking them to remove sexually graphic content from their games, threatening to delist any games that were not in compliance.
However, opposition within the gaming community put the pressure on Steam, and the gaming platform quickly changed course, rescinding their calls for removal and choosing instead to enact a new “allow everything” policy. This new policy allows games with themes of rape, sexual violence, exhibitionism, and more.
That is why we need your help now more than ever to call on Steam to remove games with this content! We are asking that, at the very least, Steam implement a new 18+ opt-in section, so that inappropriate content is neither available nor promoted to minors. Please join us in taking these quick actions!
Quick Actions:
- Put the pressure on Steam through social media by sending out these pre-written tweets
- @steam_games please protect the millions of young gamers who use your platform. Create an opt-in 18+ category, so they’re not automatically exposed to sexually graphic games. #parentingtips #onlinesafety #EndExploitation
- @steam_games why are you promoting games that depict rape, sexual violence, & more to the 35 MILLION+ minors using your platform?! You are contributing to rape culture in a world where women, children, and LGBTQ+ persons are sexually assaulted every day! #TimesUp #EndExploitation
- @steam_games appears to think it’s okay to promote games depicting rape, sexual violence, and more to millions of minors. If you disagree with them and want your voice to be heard, click the following link to email Steam execs: https://oneclickpolitics.global.ssl.fastly.net/messages/edit?promo_id=3829
- Reach out to Steam executives directly via email to let them know you want automatic protective measures in place for minors who use their platform
- If your child or a child you know uses Steam, click here to learn more about parental controls in Steam and make sure to have a conversation now about the dangers of these kinds of games and safe gaming practices
