Google has removed a game from its online store in Brazil which allowed players to trade and torture enslaved people, following criticism from figures in the South American country who say the US tech giant and the game’s developer should be held to account.
A game entitled “Slavery Simulator,” where players can “buy and sell” enslaved Black characters, has been taken down from Google’s app store after widespread criticism from Brazilian social media users.
The app, developed by Magnus Games, was launched on Google’s Play Store on April 20 and was downloaded more than 1000 times before it was removed on Wednesday, according to a statement from Google.
On Wednesday, Brazil’s Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into why the game was made available on the Play Store in the first place, it said in a statement.
The game – called ‘Slavery Simulator’ – casts the player in the role of a slave owner who can buy and sell black characters, and inflict various forms of torture on them. It was withdrawn from Google’s online store in Brazil on Wednesday, a little over a month after its release, but remains playable for the more than 1,000 people who downloaded it over the past four weeks, according to the Brazilian publication Globo.
One review of the game in the Google Play store describes it as “excellent to pass the time but lacking more torture options.”
The game has prompted an outcry in Brazil. “Blatant racism,” Renata Souza, a black activist and politician in Rio de Janeiro, tweeted on Wednesday. “The image illustrating the game has a white man surrounded by black men. It is absurdly violent. Google and the developer must answer for this crime of hatred and racism.”
Brazil’s ministry for racial equality said it has contacted the developer, Magnus Games, as well as Google to implement measures to restrict racist content online. It added that the people behind the game will be held legally responsible, the Guardian reported on Thursday.
“The racial equality ministry reiterates its irreversible commitment to eliminating racial inequalities and promoting policies that curb the dissemination of racist content online, in football stadiums, and in society as a whole,” the governmental body said in a statement this week, referencing the abuse directed at Brazilian footballer Vinicius Junior during a recent game in Spain.
Brazil’s ministry for racial equality said it has contacted the developer, Magnus Games, as well as Google to implement measures to restrict racist content online. It added that the people behind the game will be held legally responsible, the Guardian reported on Thursday.
“The racial equality ministry reiterates its irreversible commitment to eliminating racial inequalities and promoting policies that curb the dissemination of racist content online, in football stadiums, and in society as a whole,” the governmental body said in a statement this week, referencing the abuse directed at Brazilian footballer Vinicius Junior during a recent game in Spain.
The legislature in the South American country is currently considering proposals which aim to require social media companies to implement measures to reduce criminal or dangerous content spread by their platforms. This comes after tech companies in Brazil – including its Google office – were criticized for a failure to adequately moderate racist or criminal content.
Brazil is estimated to have transported around 4 million slaves from Africa before it implemented the so-called ‘Golden Law’ in 1888 which abolished slavery in all forms. It was the last country in the Americas to do so.
Prosecutors requested “specific information about the game” from Google, adding a “great number of racist comments” were also identified in the Google platform.
Within the game, users could “exchange, buy and sell slaves,” images show. “Choose one of two objectives at the start of the slave owner simulator: the Path of the Tyrant or the Path of the Liberator. Become a wealthy slave owner or achieve the abolition of slaver,y” the game’s description said.
In one of the modes offered to players, the game said, “Use slaves for your own enrichment. Prevent the abolition of slavery and accumulate wealth.”
Throughout the game, prompts to users included: “Slave level: the highest the level, the highest the profit the slave will bring,” and “You need guards! You have slaves but no one is guarding them. Without guards, the slaves will run away or rebel. Hire some fighters. Usually, 1 guard is enough for 30 slaves,” screenshots of the game show.
The game quickly went viral on social media, with multiple people criticizing both the game developers and Google.
“The normalization of violence against Black people is so wide than then things like this happen,” Levi Kaique Ferreira, an influencer activist and professor, wrote on Twitter.
“Our country was built with the blood of the Black population. People were killed, tortured. A “Slavery Simulator” is not a theme for games,” lawmaker Denise Pessoa posted on Twitter.
É UM ABSURDO que um jogo que dissemina a crueldade e o discurso de ódio contra as pessoas negras esteja disponível. Nosso país foi construído com sangue da população negra. Pessoas foram mortas, torturadas. Um “Simulador de Escravidão” não é tema para brincadeiras. pic.twitter.com/KKNdqgXmds
— Denise Pessôa (@denisespessoa) May 24, 2023
Google said: “We have a robust set of policies that are designed to keep users safe and that all developers must follow. We don’t allow apps that promote violence or incite hatred against individuals or groups based on race or ethnic origin, or that depict or promote gratuitous violence or other dangerous activities. Anyone who believes they have found an app that violates our rules can file a report. When we identify a policy violation, we take appropriate action”.
According to Google’s own platform, the application had a rating for “all ages.”
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