Itch.io is shadowbanning or deleting NSFW and LGBTQ content

[jdrakeh]

In a thread on Bluesky where various Itch publishers were complaining about their products being shadowbanned (de-indexed so they don't show up in searches), an Itch employee chimed in by asking those publishers to "give examples" (I.e. prove it), which was a really bad look for Itch.

 

[Muh]

That remains to be seen. While itch.io might not have intended it, this nuclear option brought a lot more attention. Otherwise they would just have kept doing it, one tag at a time.

That's actually an excellent point. I hope you are right.

 

[BB Shockwave]

What the heck is even Itch? I literally never even heard of it, but from the name, it must be unpleasant.

Some confusion on whether Itch delisted Mouthwashing - devs say yes, Itch claims no.

That name makes it seem like it is one of those creepy "Elsagate" gross out flash games.

It's also hitting mainstream media now: Mastercard and Visa face backlash after hundreds of adult games removed from online stores Steam and Itch.io

Okay, so who the hell are Collective Shout? Some NGO? Why would two of the biggest bank card companies care about what some self-styled australian morality expert think? Is this like another Sweet Baby Inc thing, where this company nobody heard of somehow has access to the money taps and companies have to cater to their every whim to get various donations and free money? Except while Sweet Baby was woke/liberal, Collective Shout is extra-conservative and religious? Is that it?

 

[trappedslider]

Okay, so who the hell are Collective Shout? Some NGO? Why would two of the biggest bank card companies care about what some self-styled australian morality expert think? Is this like another Sweet Baby Inc thing, where this company nobody heard of somehow has access to the money taps and companies have to cater to their every whim to get various donations and free money? Except while Sweet Baby was woke/liberal, Collective Shout is extra-conservative and religious? Is that it?

I have no idea what sweet baby was/is. But Collective Shout is an activist group who have some very imo odd views https://www.collectiveshout.org/faq

and they have a history of getting results

https://www.collectiveshout.org/wins

 

[Some Dude]

I have been saying for a long time that the satanic panic never ended. Though it isn't starting with gaming this time, I figured it would eventually come back around.

 

[Cordwainer Fish]

I have been saying for a long time that the satanic panic never ended. Though it isn't starting with gaming this time, I figured it would eventually come back around.

"This enemy you cannot kill. You can only drive it back damaged to the depths and teach your children to watch the waves for its return." - Quellcrist Falconer

(Though this isn't the Satanic Panic, it's Mrs. Grundy rising mouldering from her grave.)

 

[Gradine]

I have no idea what sweet baby was/is. But Collective Shout is an activist group who have some very imo odd views https://www.collectiveshout.org/faq

Sweet baby is probably a reference to Sweet Baby Inc., a perfectly normal sensitivity consultation firm in the video game industry that became something of a rallying call for the sorts of folks who make lists of games to boycott because they might have a gay character or woman with any sense of agency or whatever.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Except while Sweet Baby was woke/liberal, Collective Shout is extra-conservative and religious?

Mod Note:

Your use of loaded rhetoric may be obscuring your message. Try to avoid terms like “woke” unless you’re absolutely clear that it’s not your personal word choice. Got it?

 

[Faolyn]

What the heck is even Itch? I literally never even heard of it, but from the name, it must be unpleasant.

A site for selling indie products--heavily video games, a lot of TTRPGs, some self-published books.

That name makes it seem like it is one of those creepy "Elsagate" gross out flash games.

Okay, so who the hell are Collective Shout? Some NGO? Why would two of the biggest bank card companies care about what some self-styled australian morality expert think? Is this like another Sweet Baby Inc thing, where this company nobody heard of somehow has access to the money taps and companies have to cater to their every whim to get various donations and free money? Except while Sweet Baby was woke/liberal, Collective Shout is extra-conservative and religious? Is that it?

From their site: "Collective Shout is a grassroots campaigns movement against the objectification of women and the sexualisation of girls." So technically a good cause, but they're going about it in entirely the wrong way, because (as people described Itch's actions) they're using a sledgehammer. They seem to want to remove all porn, even that made by fully consenting, not-exploited adults, and don't seem to be trying to educate people in how to not objectify women.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

What the heck is even Itch? I literally never even heard of it, but from the name, it must be unpleasant.

You know what Steam is? It's like that buy you can also buy books, comics and rpgs there.

That name makes it seem like it is one of those creepy "Elsagate" gross out flash games.

it's a horror game about crew of a transport spaceship stranded on an asteroid after a crash. The name comes from the fact their ship was transporting mouthwash and the crew is using it as alcohol.