An anonymous PlayStation 4 gamer claims Sony Interactive Entertainment has temporarily suspended them from PlayStation Network and revoked their access to their digital games for using hate speech that included racial and homophobic slurs. According to the anonymous and openly racist PS4 user, Sony sent them an email letting them know they were receiving a one week suspension for violating PlayStation’s Network’s terms of service. The email notes more specifically that the user was in violation of the service’s policy on hate speech, which prohibits racism, sexism, xenophobia, or hate directed at religious beliefs, cultural identity, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
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“My account was temporarily banned for one week for calling people f—–s and n—–s,” reads an email sent from the user to One Angry Gamer. “This includes the temporary revoking of the licenses for all digital downloads in my library, however a game on a disc still works just fine. You might not agree with my actions since I know you’re not a racist, but I am and I don’t care. [It’s] fun to talk s–t online and most people are racist anyway, plus those terms are thrown around like hotcakes, so who gives a s–t. As I know you know, speech restrictions are a slippery slope and tend to go beyond the initial reasons for their installment.”
The user also shared the email sent by Sony Interactive Entertainment with the outlet.
“This message is to inform you that your account has been observed violating the PlayStation Network’s terms of service,” reads the opening of the email.
The email then provides the reason why the account was banned, where the violation occurred, and reveals that the ban will last for seven days.
“The Terms of Service have been put in place to maintain PlayStation Network’s status as the world’s best online game service and to ensure that all members of the PlayStation community can fully enjoy their experience online,” adds the email.
Over on PlayStation’s official community code of conduct page, Sony notes that suspensions mean users will be restricted from accessing PlayStation Network features — which includes digital games — while bans will result in users losing access to said features permanently. The page also lists what’s unacceptable behavior.
In the aforementioned email to One Angry Gamer, the anonymous PS4 user notes they weren’t just in trouble for their repulsive language, but for talking about topics such as forced migration and directing other users to external white nationalist content.
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