Buy, sell and torture a slave: fuss about ‘slavery game’ that was just downloadable on Google Play

The game ‘Slavery Simulator’ which has caused outrage in Brazil, was removed from the Google Play Store on Wednesday. It allowed players to buy, sell and even torture black slaves. “Excellent for killing time, but too few torture options,” one user reviewed.

The game, which has no age limit and glorifies slavery, was available on the Google Play Store since April 20 this year and has since been downloaded more than a thousand times in Brazil. Some users responded positively to the game where black characters could be sold and bought, with the downside that there could have been more options for torture.

Disgust and indignation

But most Brazilians – the game was available in Brazil – reacted with disgust and outrage. They condemned it as racist and called on the developer, Magnus Games, and Google to answer.

“Shameless racism. Absurd and violent. Google and its developer must answer for this crime of hate and racism,” tweeted Renata Souza, a black activist and politician from Rio de Janeiro.

“Racism is not entertainment, it is a crime,” denounced Quilombo Periférico, a collective of black city councilors in São Paulo.

Racism is an enduring problem in Brazil, which is still dealing with the legacy of slavery. The country imported the largest number of enslaved Africans into the Americas – an estimated 4 million – and was also the last country in the region to abolish slavery, in 1888.

READ ALSO. Number of victims of modern slavery is rising sharply, says NGO

Legally liable

“Your black child can come across a game at any time where they are enslaved, and if your child is white, recreational racism teaches them to treat people like slaves in real life,” said Bruno Cândido, a black lawyer who anti-discrimination law.

Brazil’s Equality Ministry said it has contacted the developer and Google to work with them on measures to curb racist content online. The makers of the product will be held legally liable, the ministry said.

Tech companies in Brazil, including Google, have recently come under fire for failing to moderate content that incites racism and other forms of violence. Brazil’s Congress is considering legislation that would give social media companies and technology platforms the responsibility to identify and remove criminal and dangerous content.

“The Ministry of Equality reiterates its irreversible commitment to eliminating racial inequalities and promoting policies that restrict the spread of racist content online, in football stadiums and in society at large,” the government said in an online statement, referring to the recent racist attacks against Brazilian footballer Vinícius Júnior in Spain.

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