Square Enix rolled out a new “group customer harassment policy” on January 10, showcasing its strategy to combat abusive customer behavior. This includes potentially taking legal action against individuals who harass its employees.
The policy clearly states that if someone crosses the line with actions deemed socially unacceptable or harmful towards employees or partners, Square Enix will halt any support services and may withhold their products and services from the offending party. For serious offenses driven by malicious intent, the company is prepared to consult with legal experts or law enforcement to safeguard its employees and partners.
The company’s policy divides harmful behavior into two main categories: harassment and undue demand. Harassment covers acts such as violence, abusive language, intimidation, and discriminatory speech. On the other hand, undue demand involves unreasonable monetary compensation requests and excessive demands for employee punishment.
For those familiar with the gaming community’s online interactions with developers, this move from Square Enix might not come as a shock. Recently, Naoki Yoshida, the producer of Final Fantasy 14, had to publicly ask players to stop directing transphobic abuse at English voice actor Sena Bryer, due to her role as Wuk Lamat in the Dawntrail expansion.
Square Enix’s policy reflects a broader trend in Japanese society addressing increased customer harassment. According to The Japan Times, in December 2024, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare presented a report, soon to be law, which will obligate companies to protect employees from “behavior by customers, business partners, facility users and others that goes beyond what is socially acceptable and harms the environment for workers.”
This shift isn’t unique to Square Enix. Other Japanese giants like Sega, Level-5, and Rakuten have adopted similar measures over the past year. Sega went so far as to take legal action against an individual for slander and severe harassment of an employee on social media. In July 2024, it was reported that the accused had to pay undisclosed damages to the employee. A precedent was also set in 2023 when a court in Washington awarded Bungie nearly $500,000 in damages from a Destiny 2 player who had harassed one of its community managers. These victories might pave the way for future legal confrontations in the gaming world.
