Sony Cracking Down on Offensive PSN Content With New Changes

Sony is cracking down on offensive PSN content with some new changes. More specifically, Sony has announced a new feature it calls “Nudge,” which it hopes will “reduce exposure to potentially offensive content” on the PlayStation Network. Right now, the feature has not been widely and broadly released, but rather Sony has opted for a “limited and randomized deployment” in both the United States and the United Kingdom. How limited this deployment is, exactly, it does not say.

With this new feature, Sony says it gives players the “second chance” to review any content sent via PSN messgaing that may be harmful to others before the content is sent. This is specifically offered via the PlayStation App chat, and allows said PSN users to edit this content.

From here, PSN users will have the chance to edit the content so it does not flag this system. If they do this, there will be no further review by any employee or moderator beyond this automated response. If they decide to bypass this suggestion and send the content anyway, then they run the risk of this happening, though, right now, it is only if the message is reported by the receiver, which is how it currently works.

As noted this is a limited rollout. More specificslly, only “randomly selected messages” that potentially violent the Code of Conduct violations will be flagged and experience this new system.

“By receiving the nudge, the player is able to pause, reconsider, and edit their message before it is sent to the other player,” says Sony of the new initiative. “The player can still choose to send the message in its original state. We hope that players can treat Nudges as technology similar to object detection technology in cars, empowering players to take corrective action and avoid mistakes before they happen.”

It remains to be seen what will come of this feature and when it will be universally released. Sony does not provide any of these specifics. That said, what it does note is that “positive play is a cornerstone of PlayStation” and that it wants to “contribute to more fun-loving conversations between players.” In other words, it sounds like this won’t be the final measure it takes. For now though, this new Nudge feature has not only been restricted to random and limited use, but is limited to the PlayStation App, and thus not a part of PSN messaging on PS5 and PS4 consoles themselves.

“Through trial features like nudges and other enhanced safety features, we will continue exploring new and existing technology to improve player experiences on PlayStation so that it continues to be The Best Place to Play, and the best place to interact and engage with other players,” says Sony.

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