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Anyone who has played an online game on Xbox is probably aware that the voice chat can be far from clean and nice. To help tackle this issue, Microsoft has announced a new platform feature for Xbox that aims to make online chat less toxic.
Xbox Alpha and Alpha-skip members of the Xbox Insider program can now test out a new feature that allows players to capture and submit inappropriate voice chat. Here’s how it works: Players who encounter bad/toxic voice chats they believe violate Xbox’s Community Standards can record a 60-second clip and submit it to the Xbox Safety Team for them to review.
This feature will work across “thousands” of games that use voice chat, including backwards-compatible Xbox 360 titles.
“We want players to feel comfortable jumping into any multiplayer chat feeling supported and welcome–and if they experience or witness inappropriate conduct, they can take action,” Microsoft said.
Microsoft said anyone who uploads voice chat can do so knowing that their data is “protected and secure.” Captured audio will not appear in public places for other people to see, and it cannot be downloaded or shared by anyone. Microsoft also stressed that it is not saving or uploading any voice clips without players starting the reporting process on their own.
For more, check out Xbox’s Privacy Statement that explains what Microsoft does with all the content it collects from users.
This new voice reporting feature is available in English on console in the US, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand through the Xbox Insiders program for now. Microsoft said it wants to add support for additional language over time. There is no word as of yet as to when this feature might roll out for everyone on Xbox and not just testers.
Microsoft said everyone should be an active ally by standing up for one another and reporting toxic behavior. “The improvements we are making to reactive voice moderation are for everyone–those who experience toxicity, and for those who witness it,” Microsoft said. “We cannot be bystanders of bad behavior; we must do the right thing, have empathy for our fellow players, and build a safer and more inclusive community together.”
This new reporting feature is “one of many” that Microsoft is developing to help clean up its userbase. Updates on these programs will be shared in Microsoft’s bi-annual Transparency Report.
“If even one player feels safer with this measure, then we are on the right track,” Microsoft said.
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