Square Enix Outlines New Customer Harassment Policy

Square Enix has put out a customer harassment policy that focuses on protecting its employees. As a quick summary, it will no longer provide customer service to those who engage in this sort of harassment, nor will it allow them to continue enjoying their games or products.

Customer harassment, according to Square Enix, is when customers (the players) target Square Enix staff with malicious behavior. Examples of such include physical violence, hateful speech (racism, prejudice, et cetera), threats, defamation, slander, trespassing, stalking, sexual harassment, and more. Acts that prevent staff from performing their duties, such as calling and keeping them on the phone for long periods of time, also count.

While not harassment, Square Enix is also taking a stand against undue demand. This includes unreasonable exchanges or requests for monetary compensation, or unreasonable and excessive demands for punishment. For example, you can’t demand that Square Enix fire someone just because they didn’t offer you a refund.

Square Enix also states that it will pursue legal action against particularly extreme acts of customer harassment. So in the worst case scenario, not only will you lose access to certain products or services from Square Enix, you will also get in trouble with the authorities and the law. Like streaming guidelines, though, a lot of the malicious behavior listed in the policy is socially unacceptable in any country. Most people shouldn’t need to worry about infringing on it.

You can read the new harassment policy in Japanese and in English on the Square Enix website.