Collective Shout: Difference between revisions
Added Information on Collective Shouts goals and mission statements. Added cited information on concerns expressed by certain outlets on the censorship of video games. Edited language: "Widely criticized across social media." Removed "Widely", subjective, emotive, persuasive, unproven statement. Edited to improve tonality. |
pass on style and fixed errors; removed problematic section (no proof) |
||
| Line 9: | Line 9: | ||
}} | }} | ||
Collective Shout is an Australian activist group founded in 2009 by its current director, | 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 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=20 Jul 2025 |access-date=7 Aug 2025 |work=Collective Shout}}</ref> Collective Shout's activism focuses on protesting for the censorship and restriction of media that they categorize as sexualizing women or children in Australia. | ||
The activist group became prominent in 2025 after their campaign against payment processors to cause online gaming platforms [[Steam]] and [[Itch.io]] to de-list hundreds of games, claiming that the games eroticize 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.{{Citation needed}} | The activist group became prominent in 2025 after their campaign against payment processors to cause online gaming platforms [[Steam]] and [[Itch.io]] to de-list hundreds of games, claiming that the games eroticize 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.{{Citation needed}} | ||
News and media outlets have expressed concern that the | News and media outlets have expressed concern that the organization's censorship of NSFW media 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}}</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}}</ref> Collective Shout has also been criticized across social media for what many see as a push towards censorship and their usage of questionable methods.{{Citation needed}} | ||
==Incidents== | ==Incidents== | ||
===Protest against ''Grand Theft Auto V''=== | ===Protest against ''Grand Theft Auto V''=== | ||
In 2014, the group protested the game ''{{Wplink|Grand Theft Auto V}}'', stating that the game encouraged players to "murder women for entertainment."<ref name=":0" /> The 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 protested the game ''Grand Theft Auto V'', stating that the game encouraged players to "murder women for entertainment."<ref name=":0" /> The 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=2014 | |||
===Pressure campaign against payment processors=== | ===Pressure campaign against 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 | 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> | ||
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 | Itch.io responded by de-indexing {{Wplink|Not safe for work|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=24 Jul 2025}}</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=31 Jul 2025}}</ref> | ||
De-indexing of NSFW content, as well as SFW LGBTQ+ content, | De-indexing of NSFW content, as well as SFW LGBTQ+ 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> continued on Itch.io on August 10th. | ||
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 | 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=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]}}</ref> | ||
Alongside NSFW content, the group also expressed desire to remove '' | Alongside NSFW content, the group also expressed 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 Vice allegedly instructed certain articles related to Collective Shout to be removed from their website, due to "controversial subject matter. | 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]] | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist}} | |||
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]] | [[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]] | ||