A mobile game called “Simulador de Escravidão”, which allowed black characters to be bought, sold and even tortured, was pulled from the app store by Google, following a wave of outrage and backlash from authorities in Brazil.
The Public Prosecution Service opened an investigation into “hate speech” in this application in Portuguese, which had more than a thousand downloads on the Google Playstore platform by mid-week.
In the game, participants were advised to “use slaves to enrich themselves”, or “do everything possible to prevent the abolition of slavery, to collect money”.
According to the application’s rules of use, the game is “designed exclusively for entertainment purposes” and the creators “condemn any form of slavery”.
According to the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office, the game was produced by a company called “Magnus Games”.
After pulling it from stores on Wednesday, Google said in a statement that nodoes not allow “apps that promote violence or incite hatred against individuals or groups based on racial or ethnic origin”.
The company added that internet users can report this type of content.
The Department of Racial Equality said it had contacted Google to implement measures that would “enable an efficient filter so that hate speech, bigotry and racism are not spread so easily and without measure in virtual spaces,” according to a report.
Racism continues to permeate society in Brazil, the last country in the Americas to abolish slavery in 1888, and where more than 56% of the population identifies as of African descent.
“Brazil is one of the countries that is one of the largest consumers of Google platforms, and with an application dating back to the times of slavery with bonuses for those who torture the most, for selling enslaved people, this is a mixture not only of racism, but also of fascism”, condemned this Friday the deputy Renata Souza (RJ-PSOL).
Google came into conflict with the government earlier this month, openly criticizing – with links appearing in its search engine – PL 2630/2020 (Fake News Bill), which intends to regulate social networks and content online in Brazil.
Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), has ordered the opening of an investigation for “campaign abuse” against the project, which will soon be voted on by Congress.
Source: DN
