Recently the server staff received an e-mail telling them to moderate the Discord server and the server chat on what they deem to be “appropriate.”

Below is a message from owner of the server.

Free Speech Under Attack

Dear friends, I don’t often post announcements of this sort, but I feel it’s very important for you all to know what’s currently going on.

From the very start, over 15 years ago, one of the key founding principles of MinecraftOnline has been free speech. What started out as an uncontroversal, common sense policy, has proved to be a cornerstone of this increasingly unique community. As time has passed and Western society has wavered back and forth in its political leanings, free speech has repeatedly come under attack for political reasons. It has now become common to see arrests for posts on social media in countries such as Britain and Germany, in the name of political control, which have overtaken the numbers even of traditionally totalitarian countries such as China and Russia - a truly dystopian nightmare for freedom of expression and personal liberty.

Throughout this decade and a half of change, MinecraftOnline has held steadfast to its libertarian principles, and remained an oasis of freedom and openness in an increasingly closed and controlled internet. That is, until now.

Microsoft, through their subsidiary Mojang, have issued an ultimatum to MinecraftOnline. We have been told to do away with our free speech policy (which long pre-dates Microsoft’s acquisition of Mojang), within 7 days, or face a a permanent block. If that happens, nobody will be able to play on MinecraftOnline again, and the 15-year history of this beloved server will come to a sudden and bitter end. The full email we have received today, signed facelessly only as “Mojang Enforcement”, is included below.

The email makes extremely vague claims about “harmful interactions” and “harmful comments”, and we are asking Microsoft to clarify what specific interactions and comments they consider harmful. In the meantime, please spread the word, share this info on social media. Defend free speech.

-SlowRiot

  • curbstickle@anarchist.nexus
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    edit-2
    1 day ago

    is there a central lemmy that can nuke other instances?

    There is a legal process. Violating the AGPL that Lemmy is released under, for example.

    Edited to add “Not letting me use slurs is a slippery slope to blocking positive lgbtqia statements” is an insane take, BTW.

    The answer is simple - dont use their shit or abide by their terms. No, the intolerant do not gain any advantage with me by trying to cover with “freedom of speech” or “but what if they do it to trans folks?!?”

    These are the people denigrating others, and while using a licensed piece of software too. Guess what - its under their licensing, thats their mistake. They can also stop being cool with having a Nazi bar.

    • PiraHxCx@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      1 day ago

      I don’t think AGPLv3 license would prevent someone from opening a nazi bar lemmy though…

      • curbstickle@anarchist.nexus
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        1 day ago

        It would not.

        I don’t believe it said it would not either.

        I said if it was in violation of the established terms.