Crime de racismo nos jogos online: problemas e aplicabilidade no direito brasileiro

Abstract

Electronic games are an entertainment platform that has been growing steadily over the years, especially as society becomes increasingly technologically oriented. A significant catalyst in the popularization of video games was the COVID-19 pandemic, which led more and more people to enter the world of gaming. However, with the increase in the number of players, there has also been a rise in the number of crimes committed in games, particularly in online gaming. Among the crimes committed in games, racism stands out, having gradually grown in recent years, primarily due to the increasing visibility of structural racism in society. With modernization, racism has increasingly manifested itself as a digital crime.The occurrence of such crimes in online games has turned the online gaming environment into a hostile and inhospitable space, driving away players who experience any form of offense and, to some extent, discouraging people from entering the world of gaming. Much of this is due to problems in the application of Brazilian legislation to digital crimes, especially within the context of online games, as it is a relatively new and modern phenomenon. Thus, the central objective of this study is to analyze and reflect upon the challenges of applying Brazilian legal norms to racism-related crimes in online games, and to consider how the gaming environment can become more welcoming for both existing players and those who may wish to join it in the future.