Blizzard bans 250,000 Overwatch 2 cheaters, says its AI that analyses voice chat is warning naughty players and can often ‘correct negative behaviour immediately’::Overwatch 2 has not been having a good time of it in 2023. May brought the unwelcome news that Blizzard’s original plans for the game’s post-launch support were being changed, mainly the pro
Why though? What expectation of privacy do you have for a moderated public platform? Why is this substantially different than ingame chat logs? How could they moderate voice chat otherwise?
In the context of online games specifically, harrasment over voice chat is an enormous problem, and it drives players away from VC (decreasing their ability to communicate with a team in a team game), or drives players away from the game entirely.
If it works even just /decently/ well and has a functional appeal process, this is an unqualified win. We need to start filtering out the harassment endemic to the broader gaming community.
How long until information from our conversations is recorded and sold to data firms that will in turn use it to sell to us, or hacked and personal conversations exposed.
Its not black and white.
Here’s a thought experiment: since streets are public places, would you be willing to wear a lapel mic every time you leave your house that records everything you say in public and gives access to every megacorporation and government?
Does that make you feel kind of weird? Well this is the same situation. Just because its a public place, doesn’t mean things can’t still feel invasive.
Sorry to point this out, but comparing a game chat in which you agree to a strict TOS governing your behaviors and permitted monitoring is not the same as comparing speech a person can freely engage in on the street. The former very much IS literally spelled out in black and white— the latter is far more left to interpretation by several layers of legal entities and enforcement.
I’m not trying to be contrarian; these issues are simply more complex than you’re making them out to be.
Eg: if being monitored in public, there are several laws which both allow and disallow how, when, and by what means, many of which also allow an individual means to disengage. VC in a game is voluntary participation in a private space.
Then you don’t understand the scope or nature of the problem trying to be solved.
No, I just refuse to have some shitty company monitoring me when I’m trying to be relaxed and have fun. It’s bad enough you can’t do shit online without invasive bullshit, but I’ll be fucked if I’m going to deal with it when I’m playing a game.
Idgaf what anyone else is doing or not doing, that’s not my problem.
