Most of us play video games for enjoyment, escapism and relaxation, but there are those who unfortunately attempt to ruin that experience. For that reason console manufacturers, video game developers and publishers like Microsoft do their best to moderate their games and online platforms. This means banning those who harass others, cheat or ruin the experience in some other way.
In an effort to be open and honest, Microsoft has released its first, Xbox-related transparency report. One that pertains to content moderation.
Here are the key takeaways from the report:
- We are taking action to offer better experiences. The Xbox team issued more than 4.33M proactive enforcements against inauthentic accounts, representing 57% of the total enforcements in the reporting period. Inauthentic accounts are typically automated or bot-created accounts that create an unlevel playing field and can detract from positive player experiences. Our proactive moderation, up 9x from the same period last year, allows us to catch negative content and conduct before it reaches players. We continue to invest and improve our tech so players can have safe, positive, and inviting experiences.
- Players are stewards of the community. Player reporting is a critical component in our safety approach. Alongside our increased proactive safety measures, investments in scanning and filtering technologies, and education from the Xbox Ambassador community, reporting helps us improve the work that we do to better protect our players. Our players provided over 33M reports this period, with communications (46%) and conduct (43%) accounting for the majority of player concerns. Content moderation agents are on-staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to make sure the content and conduct found on our platform adheres to our Community Standards.
- Players are in control. Every player is different and preferences on content and experiences are not one-size-fits-all. We offer many ways for players to customize settings, from message filters to parental controls, at any point in your Xbox experience. These settings allow players to manage the type of content they see and experience across all the ways they play, whether on PC, console, or anywhere with Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta). It’s up to you, the players, friends, and family members to take control and implement the settings that are right for you.
How can you help? The Xbox community is only as strong as its community members, and the feedback and reporting that you provide helps us continue improving by bringing new features, settings, and opportunities that help us shape the platform. We want you to feel confident that we are listening and acting upon your comments, so please share feedback with us via the Xbox Insiders program or on the Xbox Support website. Together, we are able to help shape a space where we can uphold our Community Standards and create spaces where everyone can have fun.