Collective Shout: Difference between revisions
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Collective Shout is an Australian activist group founded in 2009 | Collective Shout is an Australian activist group founded in 2009. It identifies itself as "''A grassroots movement challenging the objectification of women and sexualisation of girls in media, advertising and popular culture''".<ref>{{Cite news |title=Collective Shout |url=https://www.collectiveshout.org/faq |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250720102043/https://www.collectiveshout.org/faq |archive-date=2025-07-20 |access-date=2025-08-07 |work=Collective Shout}}</ref> | ||
The activist group became prominent in 2025 after their | The activist group became prominent in 2025 after their campaign against payment processors to cause [[Steam]] and [[Itch.io]] to delist hundreds of games, claiming that the games sexualise women.<ref>{{cite web|first=Josh|last=Taylor|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/29/mastercard-visa-backlash-adult-games-removed-online-stores-steam-itchio-ntwnfb|title=Mastercard and Visa face backlash after hundreds of adult games removed from online stores Steam and Itch.io|website=The Guardian|date=2025-07-28}}</ref> This action also affected countries outside of Australia. | ||
Collective Shout has been criticized for | Collective Shout has been widely criticized across social media for what many see as a push towards censorship and their usage of questionable methods. | ||
==Incidents== | ==Incidents== | ||
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===Protest against ''Grand Theft Auto V''=== | ===Protest against ''Grand Theft Auto V''=== | ||
In 2014, the group protested the game ''Grand Theft Auto V'', | In 2014, the group protested the game ''Grand Theft Auto V'', stating that the game encouraged players to murder women for entertainment.<ref name="RPSCS" /> The game was later banned from two Australian department stores that year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30328314|title='Sexually violent' GTA 5 banned from Australian stores|website=BBC|date=2014-12-04}}</ref> | ||
===Pressure campaign against payment processors=== | ===Pressure campaign against payment processors=== | ||
''Main | ''Main article: [[Valve allows ISPs and payment processors to censor content on Steam|Valve complying with ISPs and payment processors]]'' | ||
In July 2025, Collective Shout launched a public campaign "demanding credit card companies and PayPal block payments" for games on | In July 2025, Collective Shout launched a public campaign "demanding credit card companies and PayPal block payments" for games on Steam and Itch.io.<ref name=":02">{{Cite news |last=Bita |first=Natasha |date=15 July 2025 |title=Child safety group finds 500 online 'games' role-playing rape and incest |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/education/child-safety-group-finds-500-online-games-roleplaying-rape-and-incest/news-story/b30c59f85ff22934844269cb3beff538 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/koDk8 |archive-date=18 July 2025 |access-date=18 July 2025 |work=The Australian}}</ref><ref name="RPSCS">{{Cite news |last=Evans-Thirlwell |first=Edwin |date=22 July 2025 |title=Anti-porn group who tried to ban GTA 5 claim credit for Steam's sex game crackdown |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/anti-porn-group-who-tried-to-ban-gta-5-claim-credit-for-steams-sex-game-crackdown |access-date=23 July 2025 |work=Rock Paper Shotgun}}</ref> | ||
Itch.io responded by de-indexing NSFW content on July 24.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itch.io/updates/update-on-nsfw-content|title=Update on NSFW content|website=Itch.io|date=2025-07-24}}</ref> Itch.io re-indexed free NSFW content on July 31.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itch.io/t/5149036/reindexing-adult-nsfw-content|title=Reindexing adult NSFW content|website=Itch.io|date=2025-07-31}}</ref> | Itch.io responded by de-indexing NSFW content on July 24.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itch.io/updates/update-on-nsfw-content|title=Update on NSFW content|website=Itch.io|date=2025-07-24}}</ref> Itch.io re-indexed free NSFW content on July 31.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itch.io/t/5149036/reindexing-adult-nsfw-content|title=Reindexing adult NSFW content|website=Itch.io|date=2025-07-31}}</ref> | ||
The group claims to have lobbied payment processors after sending 3,000 emails to Steam and receiving no response.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Steam at Collective Shout |url=https://www.collectiveshout.org/tags/steam |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250720103220/https://www.collectiveshout.org/tags/steam |archive-date=2025-07-20 |access-date=2025-08-07 |website=Collective Shout}}</ref><ref name="CBCCards">{{Cite news |last=Ore |first=Jonathan |date=31 July 2025 |title=How an anti-porn lobby on payment processors censored thousands of video games |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/steam-itch-takedowns-credit-cards-1.7597563 |access-date=1 August 2025 |work=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]}}</ref> | |||
Alongside NSFW content | Alongside NSFW content, the group also expressed desire to remove content such as 'Detroit: Become Human'<!-- https://80.lv/articles/no-mouthwashing-wasn-t-removed-from-itch-io-because-of-the-nsfw-purge --> from gaming platforms, mainly for their depicted 'violence against women' alone.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barbe |first=Rebecca |date=6 Dec 2017 |title=Stop video game Detroit: Become Human, depicting child abuse being sold in Australia |url=https://www.change.org/p/the-hon-christian-porter-mp-stop-video-game-depicting-child-abuse-being-sold-in-australia |url-status=live |access-date=16 Aug 2025 |website=change.org}}</ref> | ||
The owner of a journalist website Vice allegedly instructed certain articles related to Collective Shout to be removed from their website, due to "controversial subject matter". The Author of the articles and several of her co-workers resigned soon afterwards in protest. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/After-payment-processors-prompt-removal-of-Steam-games-journalists-investigating-the-censorship-resign.1063259.0.html|title=After payment processors prompt removal of Steam games, journalists investigating the censorship resign|website=notebookcheck.net|date=2025-08-16}}</ref> | |||
===Critic petitions takedown=== | |||
The group has also attempted to taken down various petitions critiquing their actions, claiming them to be defamatory.{{Citation needed}} | |||
===Defense of questionable child acting=== | |||
Collective shout has stated the Netflix movie 'Cuties' did not harm children. The child actors were asked to dance sexually on camera. They claimed this "Empowered children."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Over the last week many supporters... - Melinda Tankard Reist {{!}} Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/100044384471209/posts/10158710725359791/ |website=Facebook |publication-date=2020-08-23}}</ref> | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Latest revision as of 18:23, 16 August 2025
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Collective Shout
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| Legal structure | Private |
| Industry | Lobbying, Activism |
| Official website | https://www.collectiveshout.org/ |
Collective Shout is an Australian activist group founded in 2009. It identifies itself as "A grassroots movement challenging the objectification of women and sexualisation of girls in media, advertising and popular culture".[1]
The activist group became prominent in 2025 after their campaign against payment processors to cause Steam and Itch.io to delist hundreds of games, claiming that the games sexualise women.[2] This action also affected countries outside of Australia.
Collective Shout has been widely criticized across social media for what many see as a push towards censorship and their usage of questionable methods.
Incidents[edit | edit source]
Protest against Grand Theft Auto V[edit | edit source]
In 2014, the group protested the game Grand Theft Auto V, stating that the game encouraged players to murder women for entertainment.[3] The game was later banned from two Australian department stores that year.[4]
Pressure campaign against payment processors[edit | edit source]
Main article: Valve complying with ISPs and payment processors
In July 2025, Collective Shout launched a public campaign "demanding credit card companies and PayPal block payments" for games on Steam and Itch.io.[5][3]
Itch.io responded by de-indexing NSFW content on July 24.[6] Itch.io re-indexed free NSFW content on July 31.[7]
The group claims to have lobbied payment processors after sending 3,000 emails to Steam and receiving no response.[8][9]
Alongside NSFW content, the group also expressed desire to remove content such as 'Detroit: Become Human' from gaming platforms, mainly for their depicted 'violence against women' alone.[10]
The owner of a journalist website Vice allegedly instructed certain articles related to Collective Shout to be removed from their website, due to "controversial subject matter". The Author of the articles and several of her co-workers resigned soon afterwards in protest. [11]
Critic petitions takedown[edit | edit source]
The group has also attempted to taken down various petitions critiquing their actions, claiming them to be defamatory.[citation needed]
Defense of questionable child acting[edit | edit source]
Collective shout has stated the Netflix movie 'Cuties' did not harm children. The child actors were asked to dance sexually on camera. They claimed this "Empowered children."[12]
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Collective Shout". Collective Shout. Archived from the original on 2025-07-20. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ↑ Taylor, Josh (2025-07-28). "Mastercard and Visa face backlash after hundreds of adult games removed from online stores Steam and Itch.io". The Guardian.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (22 July 2025). "Anti-porn group who tried to ban GTA 5 claim credit for Steam's sex game crackdown". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
- ↑ "'Sexually violent' GTA 5 banned from Australian stores". BBC. 2014-12-04.
- ↑ Bita, Natasha (15 July 2025). "Child safety group finds 500 online 'games' role-playing rape and incest". The Australian. Archived from the original on 18 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
- ↑ "Update on NSFW content". Itch.io. 2025-07-24.
- ↑ "Reindexing adult NSFW content". Itch.io. 2025-07-31.
- ↑ "Steam at Collective Shout". Collective Shout. Archived from the original on 2025-07-20. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ↑ Ore, Jonathan (31 July 2025). "How an anti-porn lobby on payment processors censored thousands of video games". CBC. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ↑ Barbe, Rebecca (6 Dec 2017). "Stop video game Detroit: Become Human, depicting child abuse being sold in Australia". change.org. Retrieved 16 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "After payment processors prompt removal of Steam games, journalists investigating the censorship resign". notebookcheck.net. 2025-08-16.
- ↑ "Over the last week many supporters... - Melinda Tankard Reist | Facebook". Facebook. 2020-08-23.