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{{DeletionRequest|Collective Shout is not an anti-consumer group. This article does not frame the stance of the group properly.}}{{ToneWarning}}{{InfoboxCompany
{{CompanyCargo
| Name = Collective Shout
|Description=
| Type = Private
|Founded=2009
| Founded = 2009
|Industry=Activism, Lobbying
| Industry = Lobbying, Activism
|Logo=Collective Shout logo.png
| Official Website = https://www.collectiveshout.org/
|ParentCompany=
| Logo = Collective-shout-logo.png
|Type=Private
|Website=https://www.collectiveshout.org/
}}
}}
'''{{wplink|Collective Shout}}''' is an Australian activist group founded in 2009 by its current director, {{Wplink|Melinda Tankard Reist}}. It identifies itself as: "''A grassroots movement challenging the objectification of women and sexualization of girls in media, advertising and popular culture''".<ref>{{Cite news |title=Collective Shout |url=https://www.collectiveshout.org/faq |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250720102043/https://www.collectiveshout.org/faq |archive-date=20 Jul 2025 |access-date=7 Aug 2025 |work=Collective Shout}}</ref> 


[[Collective Shout|Collective Shout]] (CS) is an Australian activist organization founded in 2009 by Melinda Tankard Reist. It identifies as a grassroots movement focused on challenging the objectification of women and the sexualization of girls in media, advertising, and popular culture. The group engages in lobbying, public campaigns, and petitions to advance its goals, which include opposing content it perceives as promoting sexual violence, exploitation, or harmful stereotypes.
The group became prominent in 2025 after their campaign against payment processors caused online gaming platforms [[Steam]] and [[Itch.io]] to de-list hundreds of games that are believed to victimize 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 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216030319/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/29/mastercard-visa-backlash-adult-games-removed-online-stores-steam-itchio-ntwnfb |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref> While the advocacy is based in Australia, their movement has had an impact on other countries. {{Citation needed}}


===Mission statement===
Some media outlets have expressed concern that the organization's censorship of adult content in the video game industry negatively impacts creative freedom.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Farokhmanesh |first=Megan |date=30 Jul 2025 |title=Gamers Are Furious About the Censorship of NSFW Games—and They’re Fighting Back |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250823055403/https://www.wired.com/story/gamers-are-furious-about-the-censorship-of-nsfw-games-and-theyre-fighting-back |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250823055403/https://www.wired.com/story/gamers-are-furious-about-the-censorship-of-nsfw-games-and-theyre-fighting-back/ |archive-date=23 Aug 2025 |access-date=23 Aug 2025 |work=WIRED}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dodds |first=Io |date=18 Aug 2025 |title=‘Financial companies shouldn’t be in this position’: How more than 20,000 NSFW video games fell under censorship |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/video-game-censorship-visa-mastercard-b2809867.html |website=The Independent |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260210210840/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/video-game-censorship-visa-mastercard-b2809867.html |archive-date=10 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hughes |first=Marley |date=2 Aug 2025 |title=This Advocacy Group is Threatening Video Games as We Know It |url=https://www.cbr.com/collective-shout-video-game-censorship/ |website=CBR |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251113150416/https://www.cbr.com/collective-shout-video-game-censorship/ |archive-date=13 Nov 2025}}</ref>
 
:CS aims to combat the sexual exploitation and objectification of women and girls. It campaigns against a range of issues, including sexualized advertising, pornography, violent video games, and the normalization of themes such as rape, incest, and child abuse in media.
 
===Methods and campaigns===
 
*The organization uses public petitions, open letters, and direct lobbying of corporations, payment processors, and governments to remove content or restrict access to material it deems harmful.
 
*Notable campaigns include protests against films like A Serbian Film, video games like Grand Theft Auto V and Detroit: Become Human, and the lobbying of payment providers to block transactions for certain adult games on platforms like Steam and Itch.io.
 
*It has also targeted advertisements, music lyrics, and events such as the Lingerie Football League and Sexpo exhibition.
 
====Focus on protecting vulnerable groups====
 
:CS frames its mission as protecting women and girls from harm caused by media that objectifies or sexualizes them. Their campaigns are explicitly targeted at content they believe promotes or glorifies violence, abuse, and exploitation. From their viewpoint, they are pro-safety and pro-dignity rather than anti-consumer. They argue that consumers, especially women and children, are harmed by the very content they seek to remove.
 
====Targeting illegal and harmful content====
 
:A significant portion of their campaign focuses on content they argue would be illegal in Australia, such as depictions of rape, incest, and child sexual abuse. They state that their initial target was games tagged with "rape" and "incest" on Steam. Campaigning for the removal of illegal content is not inherently anti-consumer; it can be framed as enforcing existing laws and social standards to protect society from harm.
 
====Using established corporate channels====
 
:Their strategy of lobbying payment processors (Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Stripe) relies on appealing to the companies' own corporate social responsibility policies and existing terms of service, which often prohibit illegal content and certain extreme adult material. They are not asking for new laws banning content for consumers but are leveraging the existing contractual relationships between businesses. This working within a established capitalist framework rather than being anti-consumer.
 
====Affiliations and partnerships====
 
:CS collaborates with a network of organizations, including anti-trafficking groups, child protection agencies, and conservative advocacy groups. Examples include the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women Australia (CATWA), Bravehearts, and the Australian Childhood Foundation.
 
===Controversies and criticisms===
 
*The organization has faced criticism for its campaigns against video games and media, with opponents arguing that its actions lead to financial censorship, disproportionately affect LGBTQ+ creators, and infringe on creative freedom.
 
*Some critics accuse CS of promoting moral panic and using emotionally charged language in its campaigns.
 
*The group has also been involved in legal battles, such as its victory against Sexpo in 2018 over the promotion of explicit content on public buses.
 
*Its 2025 campaign urging payment processors (Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Stripe) to stop processing payments for certain games on Steam and Itch.io raised concerns about financial censorship and the power of financial intermediaries to control online content.
 
===Overall impact===
 
CS has achieved significant visibility in Australia and internationally for its campaigns, resulting in tangible outcomes such as the removal of certain games, advertisements, and products. However, its methods and ideological stance have also sparked debate about censorship, freedom of expression, and the balance between protecting vulnerable groups and upholding artistic and creative rights.


==Incidents==
==Incidents==


===Protest against ''Grand Theft Auto V''===
===Protest against Grand Theft Auto V (''2014'')===
In 2014, the group started a petition against ''{{Wplink|Grand Theft Auto V}}''  it read, "It's a game that encourages players to murder women for entertainment. The incentive is to commit sexual violence against women, then abuse or kill them to proceed or get 'health' points." <ref name=":0" /> The video game was banned from two Australian department stores later that year.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30328314|title='Sexually violent' GTA 5 banned from Australian stores|website=BBC|date=4 Dec 2014}}</ref>
In 2014, the group started a petition against ''{{Wplink|Grand Theft Auto V}}''  it read, "It's a game that encourages players to murder women for entertainment. The incentive is to commit sexual violence against women, then abuse or kill them to proceed or get 'health' points." <ref name=":0" /> The video game was banned from two Australian department stores later that year.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30328314|title='Sexually violent' GTA 5 banned from Australian stores|website=BBC|date=4 Dec 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216030420/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30328314 |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref>


===Pressure campaign against payment processors===
===Lobbyist campaign against payment processors (''2025-07'')===
{{Main|Valve allows ISPs and payment processors to censor content on Steam|Valve complying with ISPs and payment processors}}
{{Main|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 Steam and Itch.io.<ref name=":02">{{Cite news |last=Bita |first=Natasha |date=15 Jul 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 Jul 2025 |access-date=18 Jul 2025 |work=The Australian}}</ref><ref name="RPSCS">{{Cite news |last=Evans-Thirlwell |first=Edwin |date=22 Jul 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 Jul 2025 |work=Rock Paper Shotgun}}</ref>
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 Jul 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-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/koDk8 |archive-date=18 Jul 2025 |access-date=18 Jul 2025 |work=The Australian}}</ref><ref name="RPSCS">{{Cite news |last=Evans-Thirlwell |first=Edwin |date=22 Jul 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 Jul 2025 |work=Rock Paper Shotgun |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251229024622/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/anti-porn-group-who-tried-to-ban-gta-5-claim-credit-for-steams-sex-game-crackdown |archive-date=29 Dec 2025}}</ref> Itch.io responded by de-indexing games with explicit content on 24 July 2025.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itch.io/updates/update-on-nsfw-content|title=Update on NSFW content|website=Itch.io|date=24 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260129171706/https://itch.io/updates/update-on-nsfw-content |archive-date=29 Jan 2026}}</ref> On July 31, they re-indexed free games with explicit content.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itch.io/t/5149036/reindexing-adult-nsfw-content|title=Reindexing adult NSFW content|website=Itch.io|date=31 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260130214640/https://itch.io/t/5149036/reindexing-adult-nsfw-content |archive-date=30 Jan 2026}}</ref>


Itch.io responded by de-indexing games with explicit 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=24 Jul 2025}}</ref> On July 31, they re-indexed free games with explicit content.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itch.io/t/5149036/reindexing-adult-nsfw-content|title=Reindexing adult NSFW content|website=Itch.io|date=31 Jul 2025}}</ref>
De-indexing continued on 10 August, this time of games with explicit content and of LGBTQ+ games without explicit content.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lazine |first=Mira |title='I feel violated' - Queer Creators Lose Livelihoods in Itch.io Bans |url=https://transnews.network/p/i-feel-violated-queer-creators-lose-livelihoods-in-itch-io-bans |website=Trans News Network |date=9 Aug 2025 |access-date=24 Aug 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250819013331/https://transnews.network/p/i-feel-violated-queer-creators-lose-livelihoods-in-itch-io-bans |archive-date=19 Aug 2025}}</ref>


De-indexing continued on August 10th, this time of games with explicit content and of LGBTQ+ games without explicit content.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lazine |first=Mira |title='I feel violated' - Queer Creators Lose Livelihoods in Itch.io Bans |url=https://transnews.network/p/i-feel-violated-queer-creators-lose-livelihoods-in-itch-io-bans |website=Trans News Network |date=9 Aug 2025 |access-date=24 Aug 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250819013331/https://transnews.network/p/i-feel-violated-queer-creators-lose-livelihoods-in-itch-io-bans |archive-date=19 Aug 2025}}</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=https://web.archive.org/web/20250720103220/https://www.collectiveshout.org/tags/steam |archive-date=20 Jul 2025 |access-date=7 Aug 2025 |website=Collective Shout}}</ref><ref name="CBCCards">{{Cite web |last=Ore |first=Jonathan |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 |website=CBC |date=31 Jul 2025 |access-date=21 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260128053221/https://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/steam-itch-takedowns-credit-cards-1.7597563 |archive-date=28 Jan 2026}}</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=20 Jul 2025 |access-date=7 Aug 2025 |website=Collective Shout}}</ref><ref name="CBCCards">{{Cite news |last=Ore |first=Jonathan |date=31 Jul 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 Aug 2025 |work=CBC}}</ref>
Alongside explicit content, the group also expressed a desire to have ''{{Wplink|Detroit: Become Human}}'' de-listed from gaming platforms for purported depictions of physical abuse against women and children.<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 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251113202032/https://www.change.org/p/the-hon-christian-porter-mp-stop-video-game-depicting-child-abuse-being-sold-in-australia |archive-date=13 Nov 2025}}</ref>


Alongside explicit content, the group also expressed a desire to remove ''{{Wplink|Detroit: Become Human}}'' from gaming platforms for depictions of physical abuse against women and children.<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 the journalism website ''{{Wplink|Vice (magazine)|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 |last=Corsetti |first=Adam |title=After payment processors prompt removal of Steam games, journalists investigating the censorship resign |url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/After-payment-processors-prompt-removal-of-Steam-games-journalists-investigating-the-censorship-resign.1063259.0.html |website=notebookcheck.net |date=21 Jul 2025 |access-date=21 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251114123535/https://www.notebookcheck.net/After-payment-processors-prompt-removal-of-Steam-games-journalists-investigating-the-censorship-resign.1063259.0.html |archive-date=14 Nov 2025}}</ref>
 
The owner of the journalism website ''{{Wplink|Vice (magazine)|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=16 Aug 2025}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
*[[Steam]]
*[[Steam]]
*[[Itch.io]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
 
[[Category:Collective Shout]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
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