the
necessity
to
update
the
Child
Protection
Act.
Screenshot from the game Outlast 2.
This case caused a lot of controversy among gaming enthusiasts and promoters in Estonia and brought about a great deal of media coverage as well. In this light, a petition of “We stand for Estonian e-sports” was started; signatures were collected for the protection of the organization of computer game competitions, which are considered to be e-sports, without taking into account the age limitations of the Child Protection Act for works that promote violence and cruelty. The organisers of the petition explained the necessity for it as follows: “The content of games does not carry any significant meaning in e-sports. Regardless of whether it is a shooter, football or card game, in e-sports a game is means for competition among players, requiring strategic thinking, teamwork skills, stress tolerance and reaction speed.” They also asked for clarifications from various ministries and the Chancellor of Justice. The Ministry of Social Affairs, under whose jurisdiction the Child Protection Act is, acknowledged that there is a practical need in society for greater clarity regarding the implementation and interpretation of section 25 of the Child Protection Act with regard to video games. 31