We’ve talked about Sony’s new harassment policy before. Now courts in multiple countries are entertaining lawsuits against Sony over its decision to end physical game discs, and Sony Japan just published a policy warning it will involve police and lawyers against customers who harass its staff. The company is fighting on two fronts simultaneously — and apparently unfazed by the symmetry.
On July 1, 2026, Sony announced that no new PlayStation games would ship on physical disc after January 2028. Existing disc libraries remain playable — this affects only future releases. The response was immediate and loud: a Change.org petition surpassed 200,000 signatures within days and continued climbing toward 400,000, organized “PlayStation blackout” boycotts spread across gaming communities, and PS5 boxes started carrying printed warnings about the 2028 cutoff. Sony’s position on all of it, per CFO Lin Tao: “cautiously move forward.”
What the Harassment Policy Actually Says
Sony’s September 2026 policy draws a clear line between legitimate complaints and conduct that can trigger police involvement or loss of support access.
Published September 1, 2026 — one month before Japan’s new customer harassment law took effect October 1, requiring employers to formally protect workers from abusive customers — Sony’s policy defines prohibited behaviors including:
- Persistent, repeated demands after Sony has already given an answer
- Threats, abusive language, or slander directed at staff
- Showing up at company premises without permission
- Coordinated online harassment targeting individual employees
- Excessive demands for apologies or compensation
Sony’s policy states: “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.”
Sony says it will pursue “legal measures and criminal proceedings” against severe offenders.
This policy targets threats and abuse, not firm criticism. Normal complaints — even forceful ones — are not what Sony is coming after. That said, the boundary between persistent advocacy and conduct Sony might classify as harassment remains uncomfortably undefined, and that ambiguity is unlikely to calm an already agitated community.
The Lawsuits Piling Up on Sony’s Other Side
Sony faces mounting legal pressure from consumer groups and digital-ownership plaintiffs even as it holds firm on the disc phaseout.
Dutch consumer foundation SM&C is seeking roughly $457 million in damages, arguing that eliminating the physical retail alternative makes the monopoly argument stronger, not weaker. Separate suits target Sony’s “Buy” button language: plaintiffs say pressing Buy button implies permanent ownership, while Sony argues customers receive a revocable license subject to its terms of service — a classic case of paying too much for something far more limited than advertised. Sony has moved to push at least one class action into private arbitration — forcing the dispute out of public court into a closed proceeding. Analysts note the disc decision may have complicated Sony’s own antitrust defense: eliminating the physical retail alternative makes the monopoly argument stronger, not weaker.
Existing disc libraries remain functional past 2028, and customer support is unaffected for anyone not crossing into abusive conduct. What consumers actually own when they press “Buy” on the PlayStation Store, however, remains an open question courts have yet to resolve.
