{"id":2122889,"date":"2026-09-01T18:23:03","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T15:23:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2122889"},"modified":"2026-09-01T18:23:03","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T15:23:03","slug":"sony-rolls-out-new-customer-harassment-policy-after-physical-disc-controversy-sparks-backlash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2122889","title":{"rendered":"Sony Rolls Out New Customer Harassment Policy After Physical Disc Controversy Sparks Backlash"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sony Japan has introduced a new customer harassment policy following widespread backlash toward its decision to stop producing physical game discs starting January 2028.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Sony Japan published this policy<\/u><\/a> on its official website on September 1, 2026, where it outlined several examples of harassment and urged customers to honor its behavioral guidelines.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur company strives to provide honest service so that our customers can use our products and services with peace of mind, and we value customer feedback to improve our services,\u201d it wrote. \u201cOn the other hand, the dignity and safety of our employees must not be threatened by customer harassment, such as words or demands from customers that exceed what is considered reasonable according to social norms.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Sony went on to say that it takes a \u201cfirm stance\u201d against such behavior, which includes examples like \u201cpersistent and repeated, or prolonged, demands, excessive or unreasonable demands for compensation or apologies, and abusive language, threats, slander, and other similar behaviors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other examples included \u201cforcing someone to prostrate themselves\u201d and \u201cvisiting our offices or related facilities without permission.\u201d If any such behavior is confirmed, Sony says it may \u201crestrict or suspend customer service\u201d to protect its employees \u2014 and, if necessary, contact \u201cpolice, lawyers, etc.\u201d to take legal action or begin criminal proceedings against them.<\/p>\n

Sony is one of several Japanese companies implementing such measures to protect their employees. In October 2025, a new law was enacted that required employers across the country to take action to prevent harassment toward their workers by customers. As told by Uni Global Union<\/a>, this marked a massive shift in Japan’s workplace culture, pivoting from a \u201ccustomer is always right\u201d mentality to a focus on worker protections.<\/p>\n

Sony’s policy hasn\u2019t come out of the blue; the company has borne the brunt of backlash from angry players following its decision to stop making physical game discs,<\/u><\/a> along with its divisive response to an ongoing lawsuit as a result of this strategy.<\/p>\n

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In August, Sony responded to a class action lawsuit<\/u><\/a> that accused it of failing to clearly state that players are merely purchasing a revocable license when they buy a game on its digital store, arguing that \u201cin the digital age, it is not plausible to allege that reasonable consumers believed they were obtaining \u2018ownership\u2019 of a digital game.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Dutch consumer group and the Stop Killing Games movement have also banded together to sue Sony, alleging that the company charged Dutch customers more<\/u><\/a> on its digital store than buyers located elsewhere in the world.<\/p>\n

The PlayStation store is at the center of another lawsuit against Sony in Mexico, where lawmakers argue that the company is engaging in \u201canti-competitive practices\u201d<\/u><\/a> by limiting purchases to its digital storefront, crippling competition from other games retailers.<\/p>\n

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Would you buy the PlayStation 6 if it had no disc drive?<\/h2>\n

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