Fact check: The Department of Homeland Security funded Take This just to put out a document demanding that companies denounce "Gamergate 2". What kind of Orwellian bullshit is this?

1. Summary of the results

The Department of Homeland Security has indeed funded Take This through a grant of approximately $700,000 ^[1], but the characterization of their work in the original statement requires important context. The funding is part of a broader research project titled "Disrupting Video Games-Based Radicalization Through Collaborative Cross-Sector Networks" ^[2]. While Take This has called for developers to denounce what they term "Gamergate 2" in relation to Sweet Baby Inc. ^[2], this appears to be separate from the main objectives of the DHS-funded research.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement omits several crucial aspects of the project:

• The research aims to develop frameworks for understanding extremism in games ^[2]
• The project involves creating toolboxes for trust and safety, game designers, and public/legislative efforts ^[3]
• Researchers acknowledge limited existing research in this area and are working to help gaming companies become more proactive in content moderation ^[4]
• The project focuses specifically on identifying and preventing white nationalist and extremist activities within online gaming communities ^[5]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement contains several misleading elements:

• It suggests that the sole purpose of the funding was to "demand" companies denounce "Gamergate 2," which is inaccurate ^[4]
• It characterizes the initiative as "Orwellian," when in fact it's a research project aimed at developing best practices and resources for monitoring extremist activities ^{[4] [3]}
• It oversimplifies a complex research initiative that involves multiple organizations and objectives ^[3]

Different stakeholders have varying interests in how this initiative is perceived:

• Gaming companies benefit from portraying this as government overreach to avoid additional moderation responsibilities
• Government agencies benefit from presenting it as a necessary security measure
• Research organizations like Take This benefit financially from the grants and increased influence in the gaming industry ^[1]