Google, Steam back PH govt's call to block GoreBox

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) said the controversial video game GoreBox, which is being linked to the Tacloban school shooting, is no longer available through the Google Play Store and Steam, a platform for buying and playing PC games.

Google, Steam back PH govt's call to block GoreBox

Nationwide block

CICC welcomed US tech giant Google's move in support of its request to ban access to the game nationwide amid claims about GoreBox’s influence on the student, who was allegedly an avid player of the game.

Announcement from CICC

Introduced about three years ago, the creators branded the game as "a chaotic, physics-driven sandbox game where creativity meets unrestrained destruction."

We welcome Google's decision to work with the Philippine government in promoting a safer online environment, especially for our children. With this restriction, we are assured that minors will no longer be able to access such a violent game. This also shows that collaboration between government and tech companies can deliver timely solutions to emerging digital risks, said Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda.

Steam likewise temporarily restricted nationwide access to GoreBox.

Meanwhile, the GoreBox developer earlier rejected the Senate's invitation to attend the probe into the school shooting that left three students dead and several others injured.

As of writing, GoreBox is not available on the Google Play Store anymore.

Source: CICC