Square Enix Creates New Policy To Protect Employees From Toxic Fans

Square Enix Unveils Robust Anti-Harassment Policy to Protect Employees and Partners

Square Enix has proactively introduced a comprehensive anti-harassment policy designed to safeguard its employees and collaborators. This policy clearly defines unacceptable behavior, encompassing threats of violence, defamation, and other forms of harassment. The company asserts its right to deny services and pursue legal action against individuals engaging in such conduct.

The policy's implementation reflects a growing need within the gaming industry to address the alarming rise in online harassment. High-profile incidents, such as death threats against actors and the cancellation of events due to threats of violence, underscore the severity of this issue. Square Enix's proactive stance aims to prevent similar situations from impacting its workforce.

The policy, detailed on the Square Enix website, covers all levels of the company, from support staff to executives. While encouraging fan feedback, Square Enix firmly states that harassment is unacceptable. The policy explicitly outlines various forms of harassment, including:

Harassment Defined:

• Acts of violence or violent threats
• Abusive language, intimidation, coercion, excessive pursuit, or unwarranted reprimands
• Defamation, slander, personal attacks (across all online platforms), and threats of business disruption
• Persistent or repeated unwanted contact
• Unauthorized entry onto company property
• Unlawful restraint through phone calls or online inquiries
• Discriminatory behavior based on race, ethnicity, religion, origin, occupation, etc.
• Privacy violations (unauthorized photography or video recording)
• Sexual harassment and stalking

Undue Demands:

• Unreasonable product exchanges or demands for monetary compensation
• Unreasonable requests for apologies, especially those targeting specific employees or partners
• Excessive requests for products or services beyond acceptable norms
• Unreasonable and excessive demands for employee punishment

This policy is a crucial step for Square Enix, given past incidents, including death threats against staff in 2018, leading to an arrest in 2019, and the cancellation of a tournament due to similar threats. Recent harassment targeting voice actors, such as Sena Bryer, further highlights the urgency of such protective measures. Square Enix's commitment to employee safety is evident in its firm stance against harassment and its willingness to pursue legal action when necessary.