imadog54 wrote:

I understand that the games can be a bit scary, but I do have an idea. The Scratch Team could have an option in the edit menu for you own project that the project is not suitable for kids under the age of x. But then again, it would not align with the philosophy. But the birthday can be checked for the account on the project, and leave a message if the age is insufficient. Those projects wouldn't be able to be played if the user is not signed in.

speakvisually wrote:

Over the past year, the Scratch moderation team has been thinking (and rethinking) our stance on Scratch projects that feature the popular video game Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF).

When these projects started appearing in the community, we heard from a number of Scratchers who questioned the appropriateness of these projects on an all-ages website. We’ve continued to hear from Scratchers, teachers, and parents who have expressed concern about these projects.

Which aspects of the games can be considered inappropriate according to the Scratch Community Guidelines? 1) Graphic content: Many projects contain disturbing imagery that can be seen as too intense for Scratch. 2) Backstory: The plot of Five Nights at Freddy's is rooted in murder and kidnapping. 3) Jumpscares: Frightening images abruptly flash on the screen.

What’s the impact of this content on Scratch? Multiple school districts have blocked access to Scratch. Several parents have reported their children having nightmares. A number of community members feel uncomfortable browsing Scratch because of this type of content.

In the coming weeks, the Scratch moderation team will begin to unshare some “Five Nights at Freddy's” content from the website. We will start to unshare emulations of the game (i.e. Scratch projects designed to be replicas of the game), since emulations of the original game contain much of the game’s original scary content and background story.

Content moderation is difficult. We want to ensure that you are all able to express yourselves while also balancing the needs of the community. We understand that unsharing and restricting content is no fun — but we hope you understand why we have decided to take this step to help make sure the Scratch community remains a friendly site for people of all ages.

Thanks,
Scratch Team

FAQ:
Why not implement an age appropriateness rating system on Scratch?
Everything shared in our community should be appropriate for all ages. Any type of age restriction placed on a project by the Scratch Team, community members, or project authors isn’t aligned with this philosophy.

Can I put a disclaimer on my Scratch project to warn people it's not for all ages?
Everything shared in our community should be appropriate for all ages. Any type of age restriction placed on a project by the Scratch Team, community members, or project authors isn’t aligned with this philosophy.

Will all Five Nights at Freddy’s content be unshared?
Nope. We’ll only unshare projects that violate our Community Guidelines. For instance: An emulation of the game containing all of the elements described above are not okay. On the other hand, a Freddy Fazbear dress up game? That’s probably okay.

Will this lead to my account being blocked?
Nah. No worries if you created a Five Nights at Freddy’s project in the past. However, we ask that you do not reshare the project if it violates the Community Guidelines.

Will I be able to reshare my project?
If you remove the parts that make the project inappropriate — the jump scares, the scary backstory, the frightening images, or any other content that isn’t appropriate. If you are unsure if your project is reshareable, you can email Contact Us and we will reevaluate your project.