Google has taken down a gaming app titled “Slavery Simulator” after it sparked outrage for allowing players to buy, sell, and torture Black virtual “slaves.” The Portuguese-language game enabled players to strategize preventing the abolition of slavery to amass virtual riches. The game was downloaded by hundreds of people before the prosecutor’s office launched an investigation for “hate speech.”
Google’s Response
After removing the app, Google released a statement condemning “applications that promote violence or hatred against groups of people or individuals because of their skin colour or ethnic origin.” The company invited users to report offensive content. Brazil’s Ministry of Racial Equality requested that Google put measures in place to filter out content containing hate speech, intolerance, and racism and to prevent it from spreading without moderation.
Racism in Brazil
Racism continues to be a significant issue in Brazil, with more than 56% of the population being Afro-Brazilian. The country is the last in the Americas to abolish slavery, which occurred in 1888. Renata Souza, a leftist regional lawmaker in Rio de Janeiro, stated that “Brazil is one of the countries with the most consumers on Google’s platforms, and there one finds this app that recalls the era of slavery, with bonuses for those who torture the most. This is not only racism, but also fascism.” She continued to say that Brazil has a neo-fascist movement that is not afraid to show itself because of the lack of regulation on social networks.
Google’s Stance on Brazilian Bill
Google has previously spoken out against a bill that seeks to stem online disinformation in Brazil, stating that it “seriously threatens free speech.” Supporters of the bill claim that it is a necessary defense against disinformation and online extremism. Detractors believe that it amounts to censorship. A Supreme Court judge ordered an investigation into Google and Telegram over what he called their “abusive campaign” against the bill.
Racism in Sport
Racism was brought to the forefront once again in Brazil after “monkey” insults were hurled at Vinicius Junior, a Brazilian footballer playing for Real Madrid in Spain. In solidarity with the player, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro turned off its lights for an hour.
Google has removed the “Slavery Simulator” game after it sparked outrage and an investigation for “hate speech.” Racism continues to be a significant issue in Brazil, with the country being the last in the Americas to abolish slavery. Google has taken a stance against a bill that seeks to stem online disinformation in Brazil, which it believes threatens free speech. Racism also continues to be a problem in sports, with monkey insults being hurled at a Brazilian footballer.
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