The "Slavery Simulator," a video game that bought, sell, and even tortured black characters, has been removed by Google from its app store after sparking an outcry in Brazil. The Public Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation for "hate speech" against this application in Portuguese which had been downloaded by more than a thousand people by midweek.
Players were asked to "use slaves to enrich themselves" or "make sure to avoid the abolition of slavery to accumulate money." The app's usage guidelines explained that the game was "designed for entertainment purposes only" and that its creators "condemn any type of slavery."
After removing the game from its Playstore platform, Google said in a statement that "applications that promote violence or hatred against groups of people or individuals because of their skin color or ethnic origin" were prohibited. The company has also invited Internet users to report any illegal content.
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"Not only racism, but also fascism"
The Department of Racial Equality said in a statement that it had asked Google for "effective measures to filter content containing hate speech, intolerance and racism," and "prevent it from spreading so easily, without moderation." Racism is still very present in Brazil, the last country in America to have abolished slavery in 1888, and where more than 56% of the population is composed of Afro-descendants.
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Brazil is one of the countries with the most consumers on Google's platforms, and there is this application that recalls the era of slavery, with bonuses for those who torture the most, "said Renata Souza, a left-wing regional deputy from Rio de Janeiro. "This is not only racism, but also fascism. Here in Brazil, we have a neo-fascist movement that is not afraid to show itself (...) because of the lack of regulation of social networks," the black parliamentarian told AFP.
Google was already at the heart of a controversy at the beginning of the month, openly criticizing – with links appearing under its search engine – a bill to regulate content on the internet. The American giant eventually removed these links, but a Supreme Court judge ordered the opening of an investigation for "abusive campaigning" against this bill that should be voted soon in Congress. The racist insults hurled Sunday in Spain against Brazilian international Vinicius Jr in the shirt of Real Madrid have sparked a wave of indignation throughout Brazil.
