Video Game Bullying, Harassment Crackdown: The FBI Is Getting Involved To Stop Abuse Against Developers

The harassment from gamers against video game developers has gotten so bad that the FBI is about to step in to crack down on it. Thanks to the availability of developers online, angry gamers take to bullying in order to vent frustrations, leading to mounting harassment and abuse against those that helped create the games.

The International Game Developers Association released the following statement last week:

"Over the last several weeks, game developers and affiliates have been the subject of harassment and 'doxxing' attacks, including threats and posting of home addresses. While we support diverse viewpoints and healthy debate on the issues within our industry, we condemn personal attacks such as these, which are not only morally reprehensible, but also illegal in many countries. We call on the entire game community to stand together against this abhorrent behavior."

Now the association has some federal backing, in the form of the FBI.

"I had a meeting with the FBI in July regarding harassment," Kate Edwards, executive director of the International Game Developers Association, told The Polygon. "They noted a rise in activity. They themselves monitor this activity, but they're focused more on cybercrime issues like hacking and very malicious harassment."

Don't take Ms. Edwards' word for it though, FBI spokeswoman Emily Yeh backs up this news.

"We wanted to let Ms. Edwards know the FBI's capability," she said, explaining that cybercrime is something the FBI is familiar with investigating and has field agents on the job.

If the issue persists, the FBI will most likely take a stronger stance than just voicing its support for the developers.

(via The Polygon)