On PS4 you've always been able to record and save video clips of your gameplay, and include chat audio of your friends or the people you play with. (Depending on your settings you can make these recordings with or without chat audio included.)

But if someone is being toxic and you save the clip, there's no built in Report system. And even if you somehow send the clip to Playstation for review, it may not always be easy for them to tell who said what.

A recent software update on PS4 is preparing for a feature that on PS5 will make it easier for users to report abusive behavior, by adding a built in Report system where you select the audio from Party chat that you want sent in for review.

This is not the PS5 letting Sony constantly listen to what people are doing. It's a tool for users to send specific audio clips in to Playstation moderators for review.

https://blog.playstation.com/2020/10/16/details-on-new-voice-chat-functionality-coming-to-ps5/

What is "party chat" exactly. I think of a group of people you invite to a party. So why would I be friends saying things that need to be reported, and why would i report said friends.

Is party chat just code for voice chat now? like with random strangers playing an online game?

Sure they wont monitor or listen in on conversations, just like they wont use the built in mic on every controller to spy on you.

Party is the name of the voice chat feature.

You'll probably usually only invite people you're friends with to your party.
But you can be in a party with people you're not friends with as well.

But yeah, no one I'm friends with needs to worry about me reporting them, or vice versa.

Here’s a tip for people, leave the party and block said user If you’re that upset lol No need to waste Sony’s time

So you're ok with ppl being racist, homophobic etc?

Because blocking said user is good and all but is of no consequence to the person at fault. 

Toxic could mean a lot of things, most situations can be handled with a block. Sure there’s extreme cases, if someone is homophobic to me, I’ll block them and move on, you think getting a day or so ban is any real consequence? I’d rather take actions in my own hands and get faster results. Idk where you got I was okay with people being racist and homophobic but okay. Nothing wrong with reporting someone but you have tools to act upon stuff yourself. 

You gave a somewhat flippant reply to a feature that will be a godsend for many people, hence my question (not statement of fact). 

And yes, a ban is more of a consequence when compared to a block. How much is obviously debatable of course, but it is something hat actually affects the perpetrator.

Seemed like a rather harsh and unwarranted question (Borderline implication) for saying people can more often than not stand up for themselves and block someone. 

But yes I agree such extreme cases should be reported, the other 90% of cases when gamers are just being assholes, people should take matters in their own hands and get immediate results. 

The other thread about this was... deleted, I guess, since I can't find it anywhere? Just to give this a more positive spin or what's up?

Anyway, I still consider this a privacy invasion since it's not really opt-in. I mean, it's opt-in in the sense that you can use the console without Sony getting to hear your voice, but it's not really opt-in in the sense that to guarantee your voice not getting heard by Sony, you have to give up on something that doesn't really need to record your voice. It's not a terrible privacy invasion, but I still don't consider it even close to being worth the trade-off.