Today, Twitch announced that it will implement additional channel-level security tools to help prevent harassment on the site. Verified chat is now available to creators and moderators, which requires users to confirm their phone and/or email before they can chat.
Twitch is implementing verified chat measures to prevent hate raids
Users can also choose to disable or enable verified chat for all accounts, first-time visitors, those under a specific account age, or those who haven’t followed the streamer for a given length of time.
By default, until the channel opts in, these features will be disabled. The platform also took measures to ensure for VIPs, subscribers, and moderators bypass the verification process. Instead of requiring two-factor authentication, users just have to validate their phone or email one time before being confirmed as valid users.
Twitch users may link up to five accounts to the same phone number, but if one is banned from a channel, all associated accounts will be banned as well. The aim is to eliminate the need for streamers to block multiple haters under one phone number or email address, so they just have to block someone once instead of ten times.
On a broad scale, if a phone-verified account is banned or suspended, all of its linked accounts will be closed as well.
Underrepresented content creators were targeted by Twitch’s raid system
Tensions have reached new heights in the Twitch community, with underrepresented content creators, especially those who are Black or LGTBQ+, being targeted by Twitch’s raid system.
Streamers occasionally surprise a streamer by sending their followers to check out that channel in a “raid.” This function is intended to assist well-known streamers in assisting newcomers. However, during the last several months, unethical actors have utilized the raid feature to send bots that flood chat with negative comments about specific individuals while they stream. The raids tool isn’t responsible for the majority of large, mass-targeted attacks, according to Twitch.
#TwitchDoBetter: Streamers started a hashtag campaign on Twitter against the platform
Twitch has introduced 350 new channel tags relating to gender, sexual orientation, race, and ability in May. These tags were requested by users to be able to discover creators. Some people, however, used those tags to target marginalized streamers, and Twitch didn’t have adequate tools to stop it. #TwitchDoBetter, a movement that began as a result of the streamers’ comments, prompted Twitch to respond. Streamers like LuciaEverblack, ShineyPen, and RekItRaven (who launched the hashtag) started #ADayOffTwitch earlier this month to protest Twitch.
The call to #ADayOffTwitch also included a list of expectations. Participating streamers requested the ability to block incoming raids, and they urged Twitch to take anti-harassment measures. Then, the platform sued two users connected to hundreds of bot accounts utilized for hate raids.
Twitch could not remain silent to the reactions
Twitch announced in its blog that it will release additional channel-level ban evasion technologies in the near future. The platform noted that streamers already have the option to only accept raids from friends, teammates, and followed channels. Because it might provide bad actors more information about what Twitch is planning and how to avoid it, the service hasn’t released its rollout schedules for security features.
Streamers can access those security options by entering Dashboard → Settings → Moderation. Moderators will also be able to check these settings by entering Manage Moderation Settings in Chat.
