Trapped in the network: the rise of LGBTQ+ censorship in games and what we can do about it
Trapped in the Network is a new report from Video Games Industry Memo which explores rising censorship of video game content related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, queer and all other sexual orientations and genders not considered to be cisgender (LGBTQ+) across the world.
The report, which has been funded with the support of Out Making Games, explores:
A brief history of digital censorship and how a more ‘porous’ approach to content censorship has encouraged self-censorship through three tactics: generating fear of retribution, creating friction when accessing content, and flooding the discourse with supportive narratives to control the conversation.
Why LGBTQ+ content and communities are a common target for oppression, what states hope to achieve by marginalising the community and why this has led to the group being a specific target for censorship.
How video game content became a major target for censorship, particularly after successful video games like The Last of Us and Baldur’s Gate 3 challenged traditional narratives about who plays games.
The practicalities of LGBTQ+ censorship in games, including the way states create a framework of fear, how platforms impose friction as the frontline of enforcement, why businesses and institutions self-censor to avoid blowback, and the way some groups or individuals harass and attack creators to silence voices.
How LGBTQ+ censorship within games has a ‘contagion’ effect, spreading from states that have strict censorship laws to the rest of the video game world due to the global, digital nature of the industry.
What we need to do to counter censorship of LGBTQ+ content in games, including ways to change public policy to support creators, how to strengthen platform moderation to push back against censorship, ways to embolden businesses to avoid self-censorship, and ways to protect and celebrate LGBTQ+ players and groups.
Read the report in full below.
