Square Enix has announced that it has taken legal action over videos that targeted its executives and employees, particularly those connected to Final Fantasy XIV, and has now reached an out-of-court settlement.
According to the statement released on April 20th, the company was able to identify the individual behind the videos posted on a video-sharing platform. These videos were said to harm the reputation of both the company and its staff.
By the time of the announcement, the videos and the account were already taken down. Square Enix confirmed that the matter has been resolved through a settlement, where the individual apologized, paid compensation, and agreed not to repeat similar actions.
In Japan, defamation is taken quite seriously under the law. Even if a claim is true, publicly damaging someone’s reputation can still lead to penalties, including fines or imprisonment. There are exceptions if the information is proven true and clearly in the public interest, but in most cases, spreading harmful or misleading content can result in legal action.
This follows a similar case earlier in March, where Square Enix took action against the operator of a Japanese blog known as Netoge Sokuho (formerly FF14 Sokuho). That case also involved defamatory content targeting employees. A similar site, Umadori Sokuhō, also announced shutting down a day after.
The company had to go through legal channels to identify the anonymous operator, and it ended in a settlement that included a public apology, site shutdown, and compensation. It also says it will continue to act under its Customer Harassment Response Policy, taking legal measures when necessary to protect its employees.
There’s no issue if players criticize a game or share negative opinions about it. That’s part of any game there is. But the line is crossed when it turns into threats, defamation, or personal attacks against developers and staff, which are seen as harmful to employee safety and their working environment.
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