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Top Shot Community,
Today we are excited to share important context and updates around our continued efforts to combat platform abuse, outlining some of the issues we’ve seen and approaches to mitigation we’re taking in the coming weeks.
INTERNATIONAL PRIORITIZATION
In recent weeks, NBA Top Shot has seen an increase in sign-ups from accounts created outside the United States. Many of these accounts have high rates of activity between accounts that are regularly flagged by the community as bots. However, many of these accounts have successfully completed the identity verification process under different identities, using unique devices.
The reality is that many of these accounts are working together but are different people with different social media presences. As a result, we're reviewing the qualifying factors of what determines activity against the spirit of engagement on NBA Top Shot.
Any action that gives some accounts unfair advantages, such as purchasing a pack on a successfully verified account and immediately gifting the Moments from that pack to another verified account, is investigated on a case-by-case basis.
Starting in June, as a requirement before all new accounts’ first purchases, identity verification will be required to minimize multi-accounting and promotional abuse. Within a few weeks, we’ll have a more efficient/less invasive identity check process for new accounts created in the United States. Due to the volume of accounts with unusual behavior created overseas, international collectors will have a stricter identity verification process requiring an ID.
REPORTING UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR
We’ve recently rolled out a new Discord channel (#community-fraud-reports). We’re pinning a form there and on our @NBATSCommunity Twitter handle for our community to directly escalate accounts with unusual activity to our Trust & Safety team.
Escalations here will generate a signal on accounts for potential action. All escalated accounts are reviewed manually. While we cannot share the results of each specific investigation, we are working on features to increase transparency.
ACCOUNT FREEZES AND THE LOCKER ROOM
When an account is suspected to be participating in fraudulent activity in breach of NBA Top Shot’s Terms of Service, the account will be off-boarded and the account’s collection will be locked indefinitely. Moments in accounts that are proven to be fraudulent will be sent to the Locker Room within 180 days. Rare and Legendary Moments from these accounts will eventually find their way back into circulation through special Locker Packs.
