All articles tagged with #bans
Riot Games has implemented new measures in League of Legends to combat smurfing, boosting, and account sharing, including linking alt accounts to main accounts for penalties, banning botted and purchased accounts, and enhancing streamer mode to protect high-profile players. These efforts aim to improve game fairness and reduce disruptive behaviors, with ongoing updates planned for future patches.
Overwatch 2 has taken strict action against over 23,000 cheaters using unapproved peripherals and other cheats, bringing the total banned accounts to over 1 million, as Blizzard enhances its anti-cheat measures and emphasizes fair competition.
Letters from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed that major tech companies, including Google and Apple, were assured immunity from prosecution if they ignored a TikTok ban, as the DOJ aimed to facilitate TikTok's sale and address national security concerns, with ongoing negotiations and extensions for TikTok's compliance.
A study suggests that plastic bag bans and fees in the US have significantly reduced their presence on shorelines, especially in areas with higher initial litter levels, though overall plastic pollution continues to grow. Policies are more effective at the state level and in regions with severe litter problems, highlighting the importance of regulation in combating plastic pollution, but broader solutions are needed to address the entire issue.
A study using crowdsourced data from shoreline cleanups across the U.S. found that areas with plastic bag bans or fees have significantly fewer plastic bags littering lakes, rivers, and beaches, indicating that such policies are effective in reducing shoreline pollution.
Despite lab-grown meat not yet being widely available, several U.S. states, including Florida and Alabama, have preemptively banned its sale, citing safety concerns and the need to protect traditional agriculture. This backlash comes even as the U.S. approved the sale of cultivated meat in 2023, and companies are working to scale production and reduce costs. The bans have sparked legal considerations and debates over consumer choice and food security, with some states shelving proposed bans and others moving forward. The issue has also seen international pushback, with Italy and France considering similar measures.
Final Fantasy XIV players on Xbox are reporting bans for using the game's terminology and systems to recruit teammates within Xbox's Looking For Group feature, with bans lasting up to 61 days. The bans seem to be triggered by normal in-game interactions, such as recruiting for a "free company," and even using abbreviations like "FC." This situation highlights the challenges of automated moderation systems lacking context, forcing Xbox players to navigate around established game terminology to play as intended.
Overwatch 2 pro player Kai 'Kai' Collins has been permabanned after the game detected cheats mid-game, sparking controversy in the community. The ban comes amidst major changes in Overwatch 2 season 9, with players blaming the new patch for the ban and criticizing the automated report system. Kai denies using cheats and claims that his account, which he has had since early Overwatch 1, was closed for no reason. The incident adds to the growing infamy of bans in the Overwatch 2 community.
Reviewers have confirmed that the MIG Switch flashcart for Nintendo Switch works as expected, allowing the running of Switch game "backups" on any model, but concerns about the risk of bans from Nintendo remain. The device's primary purpose is seen as Switch game piracy, and questions persist about how Nintendo checks for abusive use of game certificates. Additionally, there is interest in reverse engineering the MIG Switch, although its limited usefulness may impact the extent of cloning efforts.
A total of 34 countries have banned the sale of e-cigarettes, while 87 countries have imposed restrictions on their sales, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO is calling for more urgent action to curb the use of these devices, citing concerns over their health effects, particularly among young people. Despite bans and restrictions, poor enforcement allows vapes to remain available in some areas. The US, which has the largest vape market, has not implemented a nationwide ban, but some states have outlawed flavored e-cigarettes. The WHO is urging countries to implement strict measures to protect their citizens, especially children and young people, from the potential harms of vaping.
Valve has permanently banned "thousands" of DOTA 2 players identified as cheaters, handing out festive gift-wrapped lumps of toxic coal as their punishment. The ban hammer is being used to pulverize smurf accounts and penalize associated main accounts. Valve's crackdown on cheaters has resulted in many tens of thousands of smurf account bans, with recipients receiving a note stating their account has been permanently banned for smurfing or other violations. The company aims to improve match quality and wishes everyone a Happy Frostivus Update, except for smurf accounts.
Valve is handing out special Frostivus Gifts to Dota 2 players during the game's holiday event, with some players receiving bans for smurfing or sharing accounts. The bans are permanent and come in the form of a Highly Toxic Lump of Coal. Former pro player Mason "mason" Venne was among those banned and expressed disbelief on Twitch. Valve has warned players about smurfing and has been actively banning accounts, including pro players' smurf accounts, to improve the overall match quality.
Twitch art streamers are being banned in large numbers after the platform allowed "artistic nudity" in its guidelines, leading to an influx of explicit content in the Art category. Despite correctly labeling their streams with "Sexual Themes," many streamers claim they were banned while drawing nude characters. The new guidelines have caused confusion among art streamers, who feel that Twitch's rules lack clarity. It remains uncertain whether Twitch will revise its guidelines or address the confusion.
A new study published in Real Estate Economics has found that banning short-term rentals, such as those offered by Airbnb, can lead to a decrease in long-term rents. The study examined the impact of Irvine, California's ban on short-term rentals in 2018 and found that within two years, long-term rents decreased by 3% on average. The researchers estimated that this reduction in rents amounted to a decrease of $80.7 million in annual total rental spending. The findings support previous research that has shown how short-term rentals can drive up rents and home prices, exacerbating the affordable housing crisis. While banning Airbnb alone may not solve the housing shortage, it can contribute to making housing more affordable by increasing the supply of long-term rentals and reducing competition for housing.
Transgender youth and their families in Tennessee have petitioned the Supreme Court to block the state's ban on transition care for minors, marking the first time the issue has reached the nation's highest court. The bans, which prohibit minors from receiving transition care including hormone therapy and puberty blockers, have created a complicated legal landscape for transgender children and their families. If the Supreme Court agrees to hear the case, its ruling would have implications for legal challenges in over 20 states that have passed similar bans. Conservative lawmakers argue that the bans are necessary to prevent risky and unproven medical procedures, while transgender people and their families argue that the laws deny them essential care and violate their constitutional rights.