Google has withdrawn a gaming app that allowed players to buy, sell and torture Black virtual "slaves" after a racism outcry in Brazil.
Dubbed "Slavery Simulator," the
Portuguese-language game saw players trade in slaves and strategise to prevent
the abolition of slavery in order to amass virtual riches.
The prosecutor's office said it had opened an investigation
for "hate speech" related to the game downloaded by hundreds of
people.
The app itself had come with a disclaimer condemning
"all types of slavery" and insisting the game was "solely for
entertainment purposes."
After withdrawing the app from its Play Store, Google said
in a statement that "applications that promote violence or hated against
groups of people or individuals because of their skin colour or ethnic
origin" would not be allowed on its platform.
The company invited users to report offensive content.
Brazil's ministry of racial equality said it had asked
Google to put in place measures "to filter out content containing hate
speech, intolerance and racism" and "to prevent it from spreading so
easily, without moderation."
Racism is still a problem in Brazil, the last country in the
Americas to abolish slavery, in 1888. More than 56 percent of the population is
Afro-Brazilian.
"Brazil is one of the countries with the most consumers
on Google's platforms, and there one finds this app that recalls the era of
slavery, with bonuses for those who torture the most," said Renata Souza,
a leftist regional lawmaker in Rio de Janeiro.
"This is not only racism, but also fascism," she
told AFP. "Here in Brazil, we have a neo-fascist movement that is not
afraid to show itself... because of the lack of regulation on social
networks."
Google has spoken out against a bill seeking to stem online
disinformation in Brazil, saying it "seriously threatens free
speech."
Supporters call the bill a badly-needed defense against
disinformation and online extremism, but detractors say it amounts to
censorship.
A Supreme Court judge ordered an investigation of Google and
Telegram over what he called their "abusive campaign" against the
bill.
Racism has been on the minds of Brazilians since
"monkey" insults were hurled Sunday against their own Vinicius
Junior, playing for Real Madrid in Spain.
The lights on the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de
Janeiro were turned off for an hour in solidarity with the player.
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