Disney hasn’t executed any form of Club Penguin since 2018, but that hasn’t stopped some from running clones, and the media giant has had enough. The BBC reports (through Gamesindustry.biz) that Disney has ordered the closure of various sites that come with Club Penguin Online, a transparent imitation that was still child-friendly. Many servers had disabled content filters, allowing racism, harassment, and other harsh words to circulate freely. There were also “e-sex” arrangements for Zoom appointments and (at least in the past) doxxing campaigns.
A guy involved in the site was also arrested on property charges of child abuse images. Club Penguin clones are illegal because they are based on the source code and logo used without permission.
Disney said in a statement that “child protection is a very sensible priority” and that it was “dismayed” by the accusations on a site that “illegally” employs the Club Penguin brand.
The closures appear to have occurred relatively late. Club Penguin Online was the largest clone, having recently reached 7 million users, thanks in component to the club of more than one million people of the pandemic. Disney’s repression is vital to protect children, however, it occurs after a significant amount of damage has already been done.