Nintendo Is Blocking Nude Requests On Switch
Nintendo is overhauling its safety procedures and adding more words to its banned list - meaning you can no longer request nudes from other users.
20th Apr 2022 12:26
Nintendo
Nintendo Is Blocking Nude Requests On Switch
Nintendo is overhauling its safety procedures and adding more words to its banned list - meaning you can no longer request nudes from other users.
20th Apr 2022 12:26
Nintendo
While Nintendo might have the family-friendly persona of saving the Mushroom Kingdom or gobbling things as the adorable puffball that is Kirby, there's a darker side to it all. Despite some complaints that Nintendo is the gaming company for kids, others are using their Switch for some activities that are definitely not suitable for children.
With such a large player base being under 18, it makes sense that Nintendo has a long list of banned words that could be used to solicit NSFW behaviour. As the debate about cybersex and gaming continues, Nintendo is doing what it can to steer away from this murky quagmire of parental concerns and general safeguarding.
What Has Nintendo Banned?
Although the 14.1.1 update is described as "general system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience," the gaming goliath has also extended its list of banned words to include the phrase "sendnudes". More than just being aimed at protecting children, Nintendo is ensuring we're all safe from potential harassment online.
Even though Nintendo doesn't list this change on the official patch notes, dataminer OatmealDome reports say "sendnudes" and various phrases that start with death have been banned in all languages. Of course, replies to the tweet soon arrived with other variations of how you can reword "sendnudes". Sigh, we'll never win this one.
Remembering that the Switch became the fastest-selling console of all time to reach 100 million units sold - and there are 32 million Nintendo Online subscriptions - there are a lot of us out there playing. Despite a growing number of players, the number of those abusing the system is presumably only a fraction. Still, that could lead to a lot of potential problems.
What Else Is Banned By Nintendo?
In September 2020, a similar update banned words, phrases, and usernames that include variations of covid, KKK, Nazi, slave, and ACAB. Polygon tested it and found out all of the above came with a warning that reads, "This nickname contains inappropriate language."
Following the death of George Floyd, Nintendo was one of the big gaming organisations that stood by the black community - allowing BLM and variants to escape the usually banned list of political names. Nintendo has form for banning NSFW phrases, back on the 3DS, phrases including "buttnuggets" and "a**lintruder" were banned, so it makes us wonder why it took so long for the Switch to strike "sendnudes" off the console.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
