Gamers’ Fury Over Sony’s Disc Controversy Prompts New Anti-Harrassment Policy

Sony has introduced a new customer-facing anti-harassment policy in Japan, warning that violations could lead to legal action or criminal proceedings.

Sony has faced strong backlash since announcing its plan to stop making physical PlayStation game discs in January 2028. While some pushback has come in the form of boycotts or a petition, Sony’s new policy makes it sound as though some disgruntled gamers have taken things a bit too far. On Monday, the brand announced on its Japanese support site that it values customer feedback but won’t tolerate behavior that threatens the dignity and safety of its employees.

The policy covers behaviors such as repeatedly bothering support staff, making unreasonable demands for money or apologies, and using abusive language, threats, or any form of discrimination or sexual misconduct to intimidate a Sony employee. It also includes physically attacking employees, forcing them to kneel, and visiting Sony offices without permission to confront workers.

If Sony finds out a customer is harassing staff, it might limit or terminate that user’s service, notify law enforcement, or pursue legal action, including criminal prosecution. That’s reasonable when it comes to most of the behaviors listed above, but Polygon points out that some of the named behaviors, like “persistent and repeated or prolonged demands,” describe forms of relatively peaceful protest that gamers are using to voice their disagreement with the no-disc pivot.

That said, the policy could be a proactive response to Japan’s updated Labor Measures Act, which kicks in on October 1 and mandates that employers address harassment from customers.