As someone who has been closely following the indie gaming scene for years, I must say that the recent itch.io saga left me utterly dismayed and concerned. The idea that a single, automated report can bring down an entire platform like itch.io is not only alarming but also highlights the need for more human oversight in such sensitive matters.
scarcely can a warning story about overreliance on software automation be more evident than the unfortunate incident at itch.io, which unfolded today.
On Sunday evening, the proprietors of the independent game marketplace itch.io discovered that their website was inaccessible, which ran counter to Garfield’s notion that only Mondays possess unusual, unscientifically explainable misfortunes.
Based on a post on social media from itch.io, their platform experienced downtime due to a phishing incident reportedly linked to Funko, the creators of collectibles that are often debatably priced and have controversial artistic elements.
The sequence of occurrences that resulted in it started when BrandShield, an AI-powered service claiming to identify potential risks and offer analysis, submitted a report.
BrandShield submitted a phishing report on behalf of Funko to domain registration platform iwantmyname, which hosts itch.io.
As stated on the BrandShield page, they demanded the removal of a certain URL, claiming it misused Funko’s rights, but did not provide further details about the nature of the infringement.
In their first social media post about the matter, itch.io stated they swiftly removed the contested page once informed, however, the AI security firm’s demand to the provider was not rescinded.
Instead of merely asking for the specified URL to be taken down as per the BrandShield report, iwantmyname opted for the extreme measure, leading to the shutdown of the entire itch.io domain.
After experiencing some issues, the folks behind itch.io spent the remainder of the night working tirelessly to resolve them. However, bringing the independent game marketplace back up and running took an entire day before it could be cautiously restored online again.
Tying Up The Loose Ends
It appears that itch.io has not yet made an official statement saying the problem has been fixed. In the meantime, they suggest more tech-savvy users can access their site using the IP address 45.33.107.166 directly, until everything returns to normal.
Previously on social media, itch.io expressed they might establish a new website if the current issue wasn’t adequately addressed by now.
These unpredictable series of occurrences establish a troubling pattern for small businesses that strive to keep their online identity competitive, especially since dominant players in the market often act as both judge, arbiter, and enforcer.
Funko, a well-known collectibles company with no ties to indie gaming, employed automated services to file an unidentified report regarding potential phishing, though they later referred to this action simply as an “abuse” against Funko.
Instead of verifying the report or informing the domain owner, iwantmyname immediately took down the entire site, even though itch.io had previously deleted the questionable URL in question.
It wouldn’t be surprising if some video game enthusiasts begin to ponder whether it wouldn’t make more sense to spend their $10 on an independent game instead of a generic vinyl doll. This indie title was crafted with care, skill, and without relying on automated processes that could potentially harm the digital environment.
Read More
- USD PHP PREDICTION
- COMP PREDICTION. COMP cryptocurrency
- GOAT PREDICTION. GOAT cryptocurrency
- XRP PREDICTION. XRP cryptocurrency
- TAO PREDICTION. TAO cryptocurrency
- EUR BRL PREDICTION
- BCH PREDICTION. BCH cryptocurrency
- LISTA PREDICTION. LISTA cryptocurrency
- RARI/USD
- LTC PREDICTION. LTC cryptocurrency
2024-12-09 19:40