Slave Simulator game removed from Google app store due to racist criticism
Key points
- Slavery Simulator has been removed from the Google Play Store following protests in Brazil.
- Playing in Portuguese allowed players to trade slaves and devise strategies to prevent the abolition of slavery.
- Google said in a statement that apps that promote violence or racism will not be allowed on its platform.
Google has withdrawn a gaming app that allowed players to buy, sell and torture black virtual ‘slaves’ after protests against racism in Brazil.
Dubbed “Slavery Simulator”, in Portuguese, players traded slaves and strategized to prevent the abolition of slavery. to accumulate virtual wealth.
The prosecutor’s office said it opened a “hate speech” investigation in connection with the game, which was downloaded by hundreds of people.
The app itself included a disclaimer denouncing “all forms of slavery” and insisting that the game was “solely for entertainment purposes”.
Following the app’s withdrawal from its Play Store, Google said in a statement that “apps that promote violence or hatred against groups of people or individuals because of their skin color or ethnicity” will not be allowed on its platform.
The company invited users to report offensive content.
Brazil’s Ministry of Racial Equality said it had asked Google to take action “to filter content containing hate speech, intolerance and racism” and “to prevent it from spreading so easily without moderation.”
Racism remains a problem in Brazil, the last country in the Americas to abolish slavery in 1888. More than 56 percent of the population are Afro-Brazilians.
“Brazil is one of the countries with the largest number of users of Google platforms, and there you can find this application, reminiscent of the era of slavery, with bonuses for those who torment the most,” said Renata Sousa, a left-wing regional politician from Rio de Janeiro . . . .
“This is not only racism, but also fascism,” she told AFP. “Here in Brazil we have a neo-fascist movement that is not afraid to show itself… because of the lack of regulation on social media.”
Google opposes containment bill stating that it “seriously threatens freedom of speech”.
Supporters call the bill a much-needed defense against disinformation and online extremism, but detractors say it amounts to censorship.
A Supreme Court judge ordered an investigation into Google and Telegram over what he called them an “offensive campaign” against the bill.
Racism has been on the minds of Brazilians ever since the “monkey” insults were thrown on Sunday. playing for Real Madrid in Spain.
In solidarity with the player, the lights on the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro were turned off for an hour.