The Straits Times World News
· collected 2026-09-05 · by The Straits Times
Tetris, the company behind the iconic puzzle game, has distanced itself from a set of online arcade games released by the White House. According to Tetris, they did not give permission for the use of their intellectual property in these games, which include "Build the Wall" and "Flappy Bill". The games have been criticized for promoting racist themes and potentially infringing on copyrights held by major game developers such as Microsoft and Sega. The company stated that it takes copyright infringement very seriously and is currently reviewing the matter.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but none of the 1 quote(s) it offered could be found in the article text, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 4577: no verified evidence · logged 2026-09-05
Tetris distances itself from controversial White House ‘arcade’ games
AI generated
SAN FRANCISCO - Tetris said on Sept 4 that it did not give permission for the White House to use the game’s iconic imagery for a controversial online arcade that the Trump administration released on Sept 3.
asserted
administration → distance → Sept
“The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of ‘Build the Wall’ and did not authorise or licence the Tetris brand or intellectual property for the game,” Tetris told AFP in a statement.
asserted
Tetris → involve → statement
“We are currently reviewing the matter,” the statement continued.
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statement → review → matter
A block-stacking game called Build the Wall included instructions to “protect the border from the coming horde.”
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game → stack → horde
The arcade-style games and promotional content used by the Trump administration contain images that resemble games created by Tetris and other major game developers including Sega, Microsoft-owned Xbox and the Flappy Bird Foundation.
asserted
that → use → Sega
“At Tetris, we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them,” Tetris said in a social media post.
asserted
Tetris → believe → post
“P.P.S. We take copyright infringement very seriously,” the post continued.
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post → take → infringement
Promotional content posted by the White House on social media also included images that resemble trademarks and designs from Microsoft-owned Xbox.
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that → post → Xbox
Microsoft did not respond to requests for comment, and the Sega Corporation couldn’t immediately be reached.
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Corporation → respond → comment
The White House released several games on Sept 3, with a placeholder that teased another one “coming soon.”
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that → release → one
The web-only games, which were published on the official White House website under a new page called “arcade,” sparked condemnation for racist themes and prompted questions about potential copyright violations.
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which → publish → violations
In one clip, the letters from the Sega logo transform into MAGA, a term that stands for Make America Great Again, which President Donald Trump turned into his campaign slogan during his first presidential run for the 2016 election.
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Trump → transform → election
A game called “Flappy Bill” features a bald eagle carrying a document in its claws that tries to avoid smashing into columns of various heights, against a background that resembles Washington DC.
“This administration is laser focused on ways to innovate and tell the story of the President’s many accomplishments in a way that resonates with every American,” the White House said Sept 3 in a statement to AFP.
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House → call → AFP
Rights groups criticised the White House.
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groups → criticise → House
“Makes me sick.
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me → make → ?
They’ve been playing games with people’s lives for years, now they’ve made a video game of what they’re doing,” Amerika Garcia Grewal, co-director of the Frontera Federation in Eagle Pass, Texas, told AFP.
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Grewal → play → AFP
We who live in the borderlands are US citizens and yet are treated with suspicion and violence,” she added.
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she → live → suspicion
The game designers “have lost touch with what it means to be human and care for others.”
Trump campaigned on a promise to expel millions of undocumented migrants and has taken several actions since returning to power aimed at speeding up deportations and reducing border crossings.
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Trump → lose → crossings
His White House meanwhile has long used social media stunts to ram home its points and troll liberal opponents, and has sparked a backlash from several artists by using their music without permission.
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House → use → permission
The White House is trying to convince voters that Trump’s second presidential term has been successful ahead of the midterm election in November.
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term → try → November
The balance of power in Congress will also be at stake when Americans go to the polls in just over two months.
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Americans → go → months
