ADL’s report on racist Steam Community posts prompts a letter from Virginia senator

A damning report from the Anti-Defamation League printed Thursday on the “unprecedented” quantity of racist and violent content material on Steam Neighborhood has prompted a US Senator to take motion. In a letter noticed by The Verge, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) requested Valve CEO Gabe Newell how he and his firm are addressing the difficulty.

“My concern is elevated by the truth that Steam is the most important single on-line gaming digital distribution and social networking platform on the earth with over 100 million distinctive person accounts and a person base related in scale to that of the ‘conventional social media and social community platforms,’” Warner wrote.

The senator additionally cited Steam’s on-line conduct coverage that states customers could not “add or publish unlawful or inappropriate content material [including] [real] or disturbing depictions of violence” or “harass different customers or Steam personnel.”

“Valve should convey its content material moderation practices consistent with business requirements or face extra intense scrutiny from the federal authorities for its complicity in permitting hate teams to congregate and interact in actions that undoubtedly places People in danger,” Warner writes.

Congress doesn’t have the flexibility to take motion on Valve or any platform besides to shine gentle on the issue by way of letters and committee hearings. The Supreme Court overturned two state legal guidelines in June that prevented authorities officers from speaking with social media corporations about objectionable content material.

This additionally isn’t the primary time that Congress has raised considerations with Valve about extremist and racist content material created by customers or gamers in certainly one of its merchandise. The Senate Committee on the Judiciary despatched a letter to Newell in 2023 to precise considerations about gamers posting and spouting racist language in Valve’s multiplayer on-line enviornment recreation Dota 2.

We reached out to Valve for remark. We’ll replace this story if we obtain a press release or reactions from Valve.