Representing game developers like Activision Blizzard and Nintendo, the ESA has officially called on the US Government to take action against websites offering game piracy and cheating services.
There’s been a bunch of drama surrounding hackers and game ‘pirates’ in recent weeks. So it should come as no surprise that the ESA (the Entertainment Software Alliance) have looked to take on bad actors in such industries.
As noted by TorrentFreak’s Andy Maxwell, the ESA have given the Office of the United States Trade Representative a list of sites worthy of the “notorious markets” label. This includes popular Warzone hacking websites.
If successful, the classification of these websites could help international policymakers enforce laws protecting game developers. And, in regard to the hack providers, could also protect gamers.
ESA ask US government to fight piracy and cheating websites
The ESA (repping Activision, Nintendo, etc.) submitted a list of cheating & piracy sites to the US Gov.
This includes sites like EO and would classify them as “notorious markets,” subject to further law enforcement.
War against CoD hackers is happening on multiple fronts 🙌 pic.twitter.com/xJMNSdHNWd
— Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) October 18, 2021
As seen in the tweet, a popular Warzone hacking site is among those listed by the ESA. And, if you look at the full submission by the organization, it’s easier to understand why these sites are being brought to light.
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The introduction notes that the ESA hope to “shed light” on aforementioned services “that remain either sheltered from, or impervious to, the deterrent effects of enforcement actions.” The latter point reflects a difficulty in shutting down these websites, who often use a combination of cloud-based storage and international hosting to avoid permanent erasure.
ESA (Entertainment Software Association) is asking for cheat sites to be added to the Notorious Markets List ESA is basically every big game company combined together they are attacking cheating websites and also websites like https://t.co/lK1aZK4NVl https://t.co/DnRJmrsOIg
— Anti-Cheat Police Department 🕵️ (@AntiCheatPD) October 18, 2021
The list is not restricted solely to cheat providers either, as it also tackles a number of piracy-focused platforms. The ESA’s goal is for these sites to be classified as “notorious markets” so that they can be tackled by law enforcement overseas.
As explained by the report’s conclusion, the list would theoretically enable “national and local policymakers, as well as law enforcement officials, in other countries to evaluate and fairly demand accountability from these markets.”
