From Trash Talk to Threats Platform Accountability for Toxicity – Burelli & Cadieux (ERNC25)

Описание: This presentation by Thomas Burelli and Gabriel Cadieux from the University of Ottawa critically examines how online gaming platforms address toxicity and harmful behaviour, highlighting gaps between the severity of abuse and the effectiveness of existing moderation practices.

Online toxicity in games spans a wide spectrum, from trash talk and misinformation to severe forms of abuse such as sexual harassment, threats of violence, doxxing, and swatting. While some of these behaviours clearly fall under criminal law, platform responses are often inconsistent. Minor infractions may lead to bans, while serious threats frequently result in limited or temporary consequences.

The presentation analyses the structural and cultural drivers of toxicity, including competitive game design, anonymity, and platform norms that normalise or trivialise harmful behaviour. It argues that current moderation systems often prioritise convenience and liability management over meaningful player protection.

From a legal perspective, the study explores why criminal and civil accountability mechanisms are rarely applied in gaming contexts. Jurisdictional complexity, lack of cooperation between platforms and public authorities, and the privatised nature of enforcement all contribute to weak accountability. As a result, the responsibility for dealing with toxicity is frequently shifted onto players themselves.

The presentation concludes by proposing concrete reforms to strengthen platform responsibility. These include clearer and more transparent enforcement of community standards, stronger collaboration with public authorities, and public accountability mechanisms that expose systemic failures to address serious abuse.

Overall, the study calls for a shift away from treating toxicity as an unavoidable side effect of online play, toward a governance model that recognises verbal violence as a serious social and legal issue.

Keywords: online toxicity, platform governance, moderation, digital violence, accountability, online games

About the ERN Conference 2025:

The Esports Research Network Conference 2025 took place online from November 12–14, 2025 as a continuous, 72-hour global livestream. Guided by the theme “Future Realities: Esports as a Global Lab,” the event explored how esports serves as a living laboratory for understanding digital transformation across education, media, technology, and society. This innovative digital-first format followed the sun across three regional hubs, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania & Michigan State University (Americas), Staffordshire University (EMEA), and UNSW Sydney (Asia-Pacific), creating a nonstop, interconnected academic experience available to participants worldwide.

This ambitious production was made possible through the support of Corsair for Business, whose Elgato technology powered high-quality broadcasting and seamless livestreaming across all three hubs. ERNC25 continues the network’s mission to unite scholars, practitioners, and students while fostering open, global collaboration in esports research.

Full abstracts for all presentations can be viewed in the official Book of Abstracts at: https://book.esportsresearch.net

Website: https://esportsresearch.net