Stuart Duncan

@Autcraft - Changing and saving autistic lives since 2013
CA: Dmi1LuszVXMVnkTCcUkqxUCz3EtApAkN1vVGmyn8BAGS

[Stuart Duncan @autismfather]

Hi, I'm the creator of @Autcraft: #autism + #Minecraft

More Info:
TED Talk: https://t.co/AvOPU7jnpX
Mojang (Meet a Minecrafter): https://t.co/MX18IHPBcu
PCGamer: https://t.co/jByWfAfXCw

Research:
https://t.co/Hj1TAkj1qx

Support us: https://t.co/Em3kVr68gS

[AutCraft @AutCraft]

Minecraft's latest update includes enforcement of the UK's new Online Safety Act 2023... and it is a disaster.

Let us start out by saying to our players and their families: If you get into Minecraft and find that you can not use the chat, it is NOT because you did anything wrong.

On the surface, this new law and its implementation seems well intentioned, but it has been mishandled and enforced in the worst possible ways. This is supposed to only affect people in the UK, but we are seeing players in New Zealand, Japan, Germany, South Africa, and literally everywhere else affected by this. They are signing on and discovering that they are locked out of the server chat. And not just children! EVERYONE. Also, it's not just people using the latest update, it's all of Minecraft.

I am the creator and owner of Autcraft. I am a 50-year-old man in Canada, on a server located in Canada, that is set to an older version of Minecraft, and I logged in to discover that I could not use the chat in my own server.

There was no warning that this was coming, and if there was, 99% of people didn't see it or understand how it would affect them. There's no clear information given as to why people cannot chat. There's no information given on how to get access back, and what is available is confusing and extremely complicated. People in Minecraft have to go to Xbox? And to the privacy sections? And to the parental control settings? And to the age verification section? And there's an app?

This is much worse than just losing access to chat. It's no exaggeration to say that some people, many people, depend on Autcraft for their very lives. They need that support. They need that safe space. Their only friends are there. The only place they feel like they can truly be themselves is on Autcraft. And with this latest update, they logged in to find that they've been silenced with no explanation, no answers, and no path to fixing it.

Many of those people leave, silently, lost, scared, worried that they did something wrong. They are worried that we hate them now. They're worried that they've lost the only place they've felt that they belong. These are autistic children and adults who fear confrontation, who cannott handle the weight of extreme guilt, who are terrified that they've just lost everything because they did something to deserve it.

It's not just Autcraft. People depend on their online communities and online friends in ways that impact them very deeply. Many servers are seeing low player counts across the board as people close their games and walk away. Those who aren't scared of why it happened are refusing to conform to the UK government, or any government, to hand over ID or verifying personal information simply to play a video game.

Ultimately, this solves nothing. Autcraft is focused on player safety, and we will be the first to say that this keeps no one safe. Children are already finding those settings, getting their parents to verify them, and finding ways around the system to get access again. Even before all of this, every single day, we've had parents asking us if we have a Discord server for their 6-year-old children to voice chat with people since they can't read or write very well. That is extremely dangerous, but they either don't know that or don't care. All of the laws, TOS, and restrictions in the world mean absolutely nothing if those children and their parents will just check whatever boxes they need to without reading or knowing anything to get their children back in contact with the world as quickly as possible anyway.

Real safety, real protection comes from education. It comes from warning labels, from clearly explaining the dangers, from showing people the risks, and from making sure that people understand that online gaming isn't the paradise that game makers would have you believe it is. Cigarette companies have had to start putting warning labels on their packaging. We feel, it's about time that online gaming does the same. Big, bold, very clear, very serious warning labels. Tell the players that bullies, trolls, predators, groomers, and dangerous people are out there. Stop babying children just because they're children. They want to be safe too, but they cannot be safe if no one tells them what can happen. Parents want to keep their children safe, but they can't do that if they don't know what the dangers are and how to protect them effectively.

We, at Autcraft, feel that not all of the blame for this can be put on Minecraft or Mojang. This trickles down from the top, starting with the UK government imposing its will on the entire world. Then Microsoft and Xbox with their absolutely terrible implementation of their security features and wide, vague, and complicated settings. Finally, comes Minecraft and Mojang for incorporating those Xbox features in the worst way possible.

Children need to be better protected. This is certain. Absolutely terrible and tragic crimes are being committed every day in online gaming, probably even in Minecraft itself. But people are not informed well enough about it. Instead, they are just locked out and told nothing.

This sudden and unexpected change and the terrible way they went about it in the name of safety isn't just terrible for business, this is terrible for human lives. Lives will be lost over this as players are locked out from their friends, from people who now feel like family, from their safe spaces, from the places where they finally found true belonging when the real world failed to give them any of that. This is not keeping them safe. This is putting lives in danger in the name of safety.

Autcraft does not approve of or endorse these changes. They're harmful and dangerous, and they protect no one. We are calling on the UK government, Microsoft, and Mojang to fix this immediately.

[Stuart Duncan @autismfather]

Anyone who knows me and what I'm about, I make my entire mission about protecting children online.

That said, for the record, in my opinion, these changes to age limits going to 16, and the requirement for age verification, protects nobody.

I call it "protection theater."

[Stuart Duncan @autismfather]

Minecraft's update enforces UK law for age verification, but I'm in Canada. Still though, I couldn't use the chat on my own server, also in Canada, until I went to the UK page to try to verify my age only to have it tell me that I don't have to and THEN it let me chat.
Brilliant.

[Stuart Duncan @autismfather]

"My mom said to me that gayness is really bad"

This is what one young player told another young player on @Autcraft today.

Parents... please don't teach your children to hate. Whatever you want to do, that's on you, but please don't raise your children to hate people.

[Stuart Duncan @autismfather]

To put things into perspective, if you started on day 1 of year 1, and spent $1,000,000 every single DAY right up until today, in 2026, including leap years, you STILL would not have spent $1 trillion.

Nobody needs to have, or be worth, that much money.

[Stuart Duncan @autismfather]

It's interesting that @Minecraft/@Mojang/@Microsoft lock down their EULA to restrict anything inappropriate for children of all ages, then promotes a horror game/movie that's Rated R in theaters.

Either keep your promise to protect children or admit the money is more important.

[Stuart Duncan @autismfather]

@NickEh30 Wow 😠

[Stuart Duncan @autismfather]

@hughlaurie @jan_murray I mean, House did run a car through his boss's living room wall, went to prison, boss left, lost his team, got a new team, lost some of them, one of his team became his boss... it's not like things were just repeated for 8 seasons... the story, the man, the people, evolved.

[Megann Thee Reporter @MegannHorstead]

"Nobody thinks less of the penguin because it cannot fly. It's simply a different kind of bird. Different. Not less." - Stuart Duncan

[AutCraft @AutCraft]

I just turned 50 and over the years, and my experiences over the last 13 years of running Autcraft, I've learned some things, and come up with some philosophies that have not only helped me, but helped me better help others around me as well. I've been happier, felt more fulfilled, and they've brought my more peace than I've ever had in my life.

I thought, if you're interested, I'd share a few of those philosophies with you:

1. People say, "don't care what other people think about you"; That's not realistic. We're always going to care what people think and we should. It helps us to present the best versions of ourselves. What you need to do instead is stop taking everything so personally.

Praise, hate, anything in between... everyone has their opinions, just don't take any of it personally.

You can tell a lot about a person based on what they see in other people. If a person believes that the only reason you could be doing something good is to take advantage of them... it's because that's who they are. Don't take the accusation personally, take it as a lesson.

People are going to think what they think regardless of who you are, it's up to you whether or not you care about it.

2. Loneliness has nothing to do with being alone. Loneliness is when you feel like no one cares. Loneliness causes depression. Depression causes suicide.

I have found that the most valuable thing you can give someone is to make them feel seen. Ask people about their interests. Let them tell you about themselves. Recognize their needs and offer to accommodate

The loneliest feeling in the world is being surrounded by wonderful people and still feeling like nobody cares. Don't let anybody ever feel that way, whether they are family, friend, or stranger... help them feel seen.

3. Stop comparing yourself to other people and stop comparing other people against each other too.

You are different from everyone else, and that can be scary, but it's also your greatest asset. There are always going to be people better than you at some things and there are always going to be people worse than you at other things... but that doesn't mean that any of those people are better or worse than you overall, just different. You can provide perspectives and information and combinations of skills that no one else can!

Please stop comparing other people too... no one cares who is hotter than who, who is the better actor, who is better or worse than who... it means nothing since these things are subjective, therefore the only purpose these comparisons have is to divide us. To cause you to think negatively of everyone who disagrees. You don't want people comparing you to other people, stop doing it to other people, for your own sake as well as theirs.

4. Reject hate. Avoid negativity.

You don't need people who constantly complain, who are always judging others harshly, who never have anything good to say. That negative energy will cast a shadow on your life. It will hurt your mental health.

If you wish to have a positive outlook, surround yourself with positive people. Be with people who will lift you up, not drag you down.

Don't confuse this with only having people who say what you want to hear. Find people who can teach you, challenge you, change how you think, without being negative or judgy.

5. If you see a way to help people, help people. Stop waiting for "the right time" because that does not exist.

Everyone has far more potential than they believe they do, they're held back by their own self doubt. You aren't under qualified, you just haven't tried hard enough yet. Do it, keep doing it, fall, get back up, push forward, improve along the way, and never, ever, give up.

Also, remember what I said earlier, the most important thing you can do is make people feel seen, and that can be done with a simple "hello." It doesn't need to be big or costly or take much time, helping people can be as simple as making sure they feel seen.

If you see an opportunity to make a positive impact in one person's life, or many people's lives, take it. It's always the right time if you can help.

The world could use some extra helpers, now more than ever.

[Stuart Duncan @autismfather]

Tomorrow, June 5th, is my 50th birthday!

I'll be streaming at https://t.co/OD549e0VwD, at 2pm EST.

I'll start on the @Autcraft server and later on, the @Fortnite event.

Viewers can earn exclusive channel badges during the stream, designed by @DavidReesDesign!!

[Stuart Duncan @autismfather]

@JustTeddii Very nice of you guys to schedule all of this stuff on my 50th birthday. I appreciate the gift. 💜

[AutCraft @AutCraft]

June is Pride Month!

As we do each year, we've set up a whole new set of Pride Heads to collect, different from all of the previous years. This year we've added a new one so there are 21 to collect! Also, they're set on a 1 day timer meaning you can come back each day of the month to get another set.

In addition to the heads, there are map arts, books filled with relevant information, super cheap shops with lots of decoration items, and the admins will be sporting new skins which means Admin Pride 2026 heads to get!

On Autcraft, people are accepted for who they are. Everyone deserves to be their own true selves without question, without fear.

The pride area can be found at "/warp pride", a completely separate area that players can visit, or not, if they choose not to. Everyone deserves to be seen but also, no one needs to be forced to participate in something they don't wish to. So take part, or don't, it's up to you.. but either which way, Autcraft will be celebrating Pride along with our players who deserve to be celebrated.

[Stuart Duncan @autismfather]

@TheRock Nice of you all to put on an event for my birthday. I can't wait to participate right after I have birthday cake. 🎂

[Stuart Duncan @autismfather]

Polar bears and penguins have no idea that the other exists.

[Stuart Duncan @autismfather]

@TypicalGamer Bought it right away. Congrats man! ❤️💙

[Stuart Duncan @autismfather]

@russellcrowe You have the look of a man who has seen those situations get out of hand before and you took charge and made sure things were handled well and everyone was satisfied in the end, including yourself. I see nothing wrong with it.

[Wolf of X @WolfofX]

In 2013, Canadian web developer Stuart Duncan created Autcraft, a private Minecraft server designed mainly for autistic children and teens who struggled with bullying, exclusion, and social isolation online.

Inspired by his own experiences with autism, Duncan built the community as a safe place where players could make friends, express themselves, and socialize without fear of harassment.

As the server rapidly grew into a global support community for neurodivergent players and their families, Duncan eventually left his regular job to focus on running Autcraft full-time.

Today, the server is widely recognized as one of the internet’s most positive gaming communities, helping thousands of autistic players find friendship, confidence, and acceptance through Minecraft.

[Stuart Duncan @autismfather]

@GeminiTayMC Happy Birthday Gem!