Only a day after the Democrats called upon the gaming industry to do more against the rise of extremism and hate in online gaming communities, US Senator Maggie Hassan has specifically called upon Gabe Newell to do something about the amount of Nazi related content on Steam. The New Hampshire Senator wrote this letter specifically with Valve in mind, recognising it as the leading marketplace for PC games, and asked certain questions directed at the platform.
This letter is different from the one sent to Activision and other video game developers, but still references the report by the Anti Defamation League, which notes a rise in white supremacism in online gaming communities. It states “nearly one in ten gamers between ages 13 and 17 had been exposed to white-supremacist ideology and themes in online multiplayer games".
“Disturbingly, Steam has a significant presence of users displaying and espousing neo-Nazi, extremist, racial supremacist, misogynistic, and other hateful sentiments,” says the letter, available on Vice. “Valve should be taking steps to prevent harmful content, especially given the relationship between online comments and violence in the offline world.”
"Extremist content on Steam, found after cursory keyword searches using terms and images commonly associated with neo-Nazi, extremist, and racial supremacist ideologies, is pervasive." The letter then goes on to list several cases which use Nazi references and symbolism, including the number 88 – a neo-Nazi term for "Heil Hitler", the Waffen SS, the Wehrmacth, and the Panzer Division among others.
"The exposure to explicit, unambiguous, and pervasive symbols, visuals, and words and phrases associated with racial supremacy, neo-Nazism, antisemitism, gender-based violence or harassment, homophobia, and other hateful and harmful ideologies restricts and inhibits many Steam users from participating in communities free of harassing, abusive, and threatening behavior," continues the letter. "Furthermore, allowing racist, extremist, antisemitic, and other hateful ideologies an unimpeded space in which they can flourish online allows for the very real threat of violence in offline, physical spaces."
It then goes on to ask Valve a list of questions, including whether this kind of content goes against Steam's terms of agreement, and if so, if any action has been taken against the responsible accounts. It also asks about certain processes of Steam's community moderation.