Nintendo Adds "Groomer" And Mass Shooting References To Its Banned Words List
It shouldn't be surprising to any of you reading that game platforms have a list of banned words that stop users from creating offensive usernames. They're often slurs, swears, or words for your nether regions, but one company that's always put a lot of thought into its banned words list is Nintendo. It's makes sense consdiering the platform is aimed a lot more towards children, and a recent datamine has discovered that the platform seems to have added a few new words to its list.
Sepaking with Kotaku, longtime Nintendo dataminer OatmealDome has revealed that a number of references to mass shootings have been added to the list, including names and organizations like ISIS, Adam Lanza (Sandy Hook), Salv8dor (Uvlade), and Alek Minassian (Toronto). For those wondering why Nintendo has banned "Salv8dor" and not the name "Salvador", it's likely because it's also the name of a country and is also fairly popular name in general.
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Another interesting addition to the banned list is the word "groomer". While it's a word with a fairly obvious meaning, it's usage has risen in recent years to attack members of the LGBTQ+ community. Of course, we don't have the exact reasoning as to why Nintendo has decided to add the word to its list, although it's increased usage amongst conservatve politicians and the right-wing is likely a large factor.
This change is unlikely to affect any of you reading - and if it does I question your decision making and ability to pick an appropriate username - but it's nice to see that Nintendo is constantly taking steps to ensure its online space is as safe as possible for those simply wanting to forget their life struggles and play a few rounds
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