Sony’s layer-2 network Soneium triggers outcry over censorship features

Community backlash erupts after Soneium’s launch, with critics labeling its restrictions as anti-decentralization.

Japanese multinational conglomerate Sony is stepping into the blockchain spotlight with the launch of Soneium, its layer-2 solution built on the Ethereum network. Designed to “unlock new possibilities, enhancing fan engagement and leveraging the transformative potential of web3 technology,” Soneium promises a future where creators, fans, and developers collaborate in a decentralized digital space, according to the Jan. 14 mainnet launch announcement.

You might also like: Sony launches Soneium mainnet to power fan-driven web3 experiences

But not everyone’s buying it — crypto diehards are up in arms over the platform’s controversial approach to intellectual property protection.

What is Soneium

Soneium is Sony’s bold leap into the web3 space. Built on the OP Stack from the Optimism Foundation, the layer-2 blockchain aims to bridge the gap between web2 and web3 users. The platform integrates Sony’s NFT-based Fan Marketing Platform and Soneium Spark, initiatives designed to support creators and offer fans unique experiences.

Soneium also leverages Sony’s entertainment divisions — Sony Pictures, Sony Music, and Sony Music Publishing — bringing blockchain-based digital collectibles to fans as a gateway to exclusive content. The goal? To enhance fan engagement and foster deeper connections between creators and their audiences.

But Soneium isn’t just about fun and games. It’s packing tools to protect IP and promises fair profit-sharing, aiming to shake up digital creativity. Still, some in the crypto crowd are fuming, accusing the developers of rug-pulling investors with censorship features.

Community backlash

The launch hasn’t been without hiccups. While some celebrated Soneium’s launch, others expressed concerns over its approach to restricting certain blockchain activities. Co-founder of defi creator studio Pink Brains Ignas, commenting on Soneium’s launch, noted in an X post that all “current corporate L2s fall short and will probably never align with Ethereum, as their incentive structures differ.”

The backlash comes from Soneium’s policy of blacklisting addresses linked to IP violations or harmful actions. While meant to protect creators, it’s sparked debates over decentralization and fairness in web3, which is widely seen as a space built on openness, user autonomy, and resistance to centralized control.

How Soneium’s censorship features work

Soneium has a system in place to address unauthorized IP use and potentially harmful activities. When a violation is suspected, the platform adds the offending contract address to a “Suspected of IP infringement” list, according to the network’s documentation. The listing triggers a warning period, allowing developers to resolve issues without facing restrictions.

If the issues aren’t resolved, the contract gets slapped on a restricted list. That means limited activities — like cutting off public RPC access and even making it invisible on tools like Block Explorer. However, Soneium emphasizes that these actions are reversible. Once improvements are made, though, the contract’s status “can be reassessed,” the developers say, adding that labels “may be updated or removed following a thorough review.”

Soneium’s response

Soneium’s team has defended its policies, emphasizing their commitment to decentralization while safeguarding creators. Following the community’s backlash, the developers took to X to reaffirm users that the network remains “committed to protecting creators’ IPs and rights onchain while maintaining the spirit of decentralization!”

“Our documentation outlines how we safeguard IP rights and combat malicious activities – all while keeping web3’s core values of openness and innovation intact.”

Soneium

Crypto.news reached out to the Soneium team but didn’t hear back before publication. While Soneium’s director, Sota Watanabe, didn’t directly address the backlash, he did share in an X post after the community spoke out that the developers want to use the OP Stack to “protect creators’ rights from IP infringements.”

Despite the censorship features, there are still ways to get around them.

As Gautham Santhosh, founder of the Ethereum-based derivatives network Polynomial, explained in an X post, Sony might try censoring at the RPC level. Still, they can’t stop users from pushing transactions through Ethereum’s mainnet. This is because OP Stack’s design “forces every l2 to inherit Ethereum’s security guarantees.”

While Soneium seems to be having a bit of a rough start, Sony’s push to blend blockchain with everyday life could still set a new standard in web3. Whether the network can deliver on its promise of a fairer, more connected digital world or remain just another niche network with limited impact is yet to be seen.

Read more: Samsung joins forces with Sony to support Soneium blockchain incubator