When my sibling & I would fight as kids, my mom would tell us to touch noses until we inevitably started giggling and got over it. I say this with love: FF7 shippers need to touch noses. We're all the same family in loving these characters so relax 💕
— Briana White (@ItsBrianaWhite) December 19, 2024
New Square Enix policy aims to protect employees from toxic fans
Square says it may restrict services of fans who abuse staff
Final Fantasy makers Square Enix has shared a new Group Customer Harassment Policy which it hopes will support its workers suffering abuse from toxic fans.
Square says that should it find that an individual has engaged in harassment “we reserve our right to cease providing support services or to refrain from providing our group’s products and services.”
The policy reads: “There are instances where certain customers take actions directly or through our support centers, or towards our group executives, employees, partners who are involved in the creation and distribution of our group products and services, that constitute ‘customer harassment,’ such as denial of personality, violence, defamation, intimidation, advance notice of wrongdoing, advance notice of obstruction of business, harassment.”
It continues: “Such actions do not only prevent our employees and partners from engaging in their work with a sense of security but also causes disruptions to other customers. Square Enix will not tolerate harassment and will take action as necessary.”
Square Enix says its policy covers, but is not limited to the following examples of harassment:
Harassment:
- Act of violence, violent behavior
- Abusive language, intimidation, coercion, duress, excessive pursuit or reprimand
- Defamation/slander, denial of personality, personal attack (including email, contact in contact form, comment or post on the internet), advance notice of wrongdoing, advance notice of obstruction of business
- Persistent inquiries, repeated visits
- Trespassing by visiting or staying in an office or related facility without permission
- Unlawful restraint including via telephone calls and online inquiries
- Discriminatory speech and conduct regarding race, ethnicity, religion, family origin, occupation, etc.
- Infringement of privacy by taking pictures or making video recordings without consent
- Sexual harassment, stalking, repeated stalking behavior
Undue demand:
- Unreasonable changes or exchange of product or request for monetary compensation
- Unreasonable response or request for an apology (including face-to-face response or request for an apology specifying the position of our employee or partners)
- Excessive requests for the provision of products and services exceeding socially accepted norms
- Unreasonable and excessive demands for punishment of our employees
Final Fantasy voice actors have previously taken to social media to condemn harassment they’ve received in the wake of story choices.
Brianna White, who voices Aerith in Square’s FF7 remake trilogy, posted on X to politely request that aggressive “shippers,” relax.
Shippers are fans of characters who like to create their own preferred pairings in media. While these can often be harmless reinterpretations of the original media, some fans take it too far.
Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa’s love triangle in the trilogy of remakes has caused some fans to respond with abuse when their preferred couple isn’t established as canon.
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