On January 10th, Square Enix rolled out a new “group customer harassment policy,” signifying its firm stance against abusive customers. This new guideline outlines potential actions the company might take, including cutting ties with problematic consumers and pursuing legal action against anyone who targets their employees with undue hostility.
The policy specifically states, “If Square Enix finds a person engaging in behavior towards our staff or partners that exceeds what is deemed socially acceptable or which is harmful, we reserve the right to halt our support services or withhold our products and services. In cases of extreme or malicious acts, Square Enix may also opt to protect its staff and partners by initiating legal or criminal proceedings after consulting with law enforcement or legal advisors.”
The policy categorizes unacceptable behaviors into two main types: harassment and undue demands. Harassment generally involves violent acts, abusive language, intimidation, and any form of discriminatory speech. On the other hand, undue demands mainly refer to unreasonable requests for monetary compensation or exaggerated calls for punishing employees.
If you’ve ever navigated some corners of the online gaming world, this kind of policy introduction isn’t all that unexpected. Take the recent plea from Naoki Yoshida, the producer of Final Fantasy 14, for example. He implored players to cease with the transphobic attacks directed at English voice actor Sena Bryer, who played Wuk Lamat in the Dawntrail expansion.
Square Enix’s new approach aligns with a broader movement in Japan to counter an increase in customer harassment incidents. As noted by The Japan Times, in December 2024, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare put forward a report suggesting future legislation. This would obligate companies to shield their workforce from unacceptable customer behavior that jeopardizes their working conditions.
In the past year, other Japanese firms like Sega, Level-5, and Rakuten have adopted similar measures. Sega, for instance, took legal action against an individual for engaging in slander and severe harassment of an employee on social media. By July 2024, the courts ordered the perpetrator to pay the victim undisclosed damages. Meanwhile, back in 2023, a court in Washington awarded Bungie close to $500,000 in damages after a Destiny 2 player harassed one of its community managers. Victories like these may well set the stage for how future cases of this nature are handled.
