Former Twitter Trust and Safety Head, Yoel Roth, who resigned last year after a run-in with billionaire owner Elon Musk, has issued a stark warning to X (formerly Twitter) about its precarious position concerning the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA) as well as its safety policies. Speaking at the recent Code Conference 2023, Roth, was interviewed by Kara Swisher. Roth highlighted X's withdrawal from the EU's Code of Practice on Disinformation in May and cited Commissioner Vera Jourova's accusation that the platform is a major disinformation spreader. Roth believes that a confrontation with EU regulators is now inevitable, given the DSA's severe penalties of up to 6% of global annual turnover for breaches. However, while that issue is still simmering, what really caught the eye was the poignant and stark reminder of what happened to Roth after the run-ins with Musk, including death threats that even forced him to sell his house and move in order to stay safe. Roth said these death threats were "inspired by the company's leader".
Unity closes offices due to ‘credible death threat’
14.09.2023 - 17:49 / polygon.com / John Riccitiello / Unity Ceo
Unity Technologies has closed several U.S. offices due to a “potential threat,” a Unity spokesperson confirmed to Polygon. A Bloomberg report said offices in Austin, Texas and San Francisco were closed just as Unity CEO John Riccitiello was scheduled to address staff at a company-wide meeting due to what was described as a “credible death threat.”
“Today, we have been made aware of a potential threat to some of our offices,” a Unity spokesperson said in a statement. “We have taken immediate and proactive measures to ensure the safety of our employees, which is our top priority. We are closing our offices today and tomorrow that could be potential targets for this threat, and are fully cooperating with law enforcement on the investigation.”
Polygon has reached out to the Federal Bureau of Investigations, as well as police in both cities, for more information. San Francisco police public information officer Kathryn Winters told Polygon it had not received any reports.
On Sept. 12, Unity announced its new pricing structure that tacks on fees tied to video game installs after certain download and revenue numbers are met. Developers have described the structure as disastrous, a business move that may put businesses at risk. Unity also drew ire for poorly communicating the new model that some said could be a violation of its own terms of service. Dozens of studios and developers have spoken out against the new policy, threatening to abandon the subscription-based engine should the changes not be reversed.
Unity ‘Debace’ Forces Dev to Cancel Nintendo Switch Port of WipEout-Style Racer
Controversy and upheaval around game engine Unity has forced the developer of a WipEout-style racer to cancel its planned Nintendo Switch port.
Unity apologizes to devs, reveals updated Runtime Fee policy
Next Up: Read Game Developer's interview with Unity Create President Marc Whitten , discussing the road to the changes below and what Unity has learned from the backlash surrounding the original Runtime Fee policy.
Unity is making some changes to its controversial Runtime Fee, thanks community for its “hard feedback”
The president of Unity Create, Marc Whitten, has published an open letter responding to the backlash over the recent Unity Runtime Fee announcement, and has outlined a number of changes that are going to be made to the policy before it’s enforced in 2024.
Unity Closes Multiple Offices, Cancels Town Hall Following Death Threat | Push Square
Update: Polygon reports that a «reporting party» told responding San Francisco police «an employee made a threat towards his employer using social media.” According to the police, the employee who allegedly made the threats works in an office outside of California.
Unity apologises for its disastrous pricing plans and promises changes (but not reversal) in wake of developer backlash
Unity has apologised to developers for “confusion and angst” caused by its proposed new pricing structure that sought to charge game creators a fee every time their game was installed, promising that changes will be made - but without suggesting that it would pull away completely from implementing the much-criticised plans.
Unity founder says we ‘f*cked up’ with price increase and company prepares to backpedal
We're thrilled to announce the return of GamesBeat Next, hosted in San Francisco this October, where we will explore the theme of «Playing the Edge.» Apply to speak here and learn more about sponsorship opportunities here. At the event, we will also announce 25 top game startups as the 2024 Game Changers. Apply or nominate today!
Unity apologises for "confusion and angst" over fee changes
Unity has apologised following the furore around its disastrous plans to charge developers when people download games made using its technology.
Unity apologises for controversial Runtime Fee, promises changes to the policy
Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox
Rust 2 confirmed, but it “definitely won’t be a Unity game”
Rust is truly a timeless survival game, bringing friends from all over the globe together as they struggle to make a base and thrive through the harsh multiplayer world. Garry Newman, the founder of Facepunch Studios, is best known for his work on games like Rust and other Steam classics such as Garry’s Mod. Rust was created using the Unity engine, one that recently sparked controversy among developers due to its upcoming pay-per-install system. Newman responds to the matter himself, where he also mentions Rust 2.
Unity temporarily shuts offices after receiving threats
Unity Technologies, the company behind the popular Unity game engine, has had to close up some of its offices after it received threats to its employees' safety.
Unity has had to close two offices following a death threat
Unity had to close two of its offices and cancel a planned town hall meeting following a death threat.