Twitch has announced sweeping changes after dozens of allegations of sexual harassment emerged from gaming and streaming communities on the platform. Part of the plan to make these communities safer is to completely remove alleged abusers from the platform. Streamers and community members who violate community guidelines could face suspensions and bans depending on the severity of the case.
An update on our investigations into the recent allegations of sexual abuse and harassment involving Twitch streamers and actions we’re taking. https://t.co/OLJzU9LEVU
— Twitch (@Twitch) June 25, 2020
Twitch claims that it is reviewing every case as they are revealed, with the most severe cases being prioritized first. Those who violate the Community Guidelines or Terms of Service have been issued “permanent suspensions.” Many of the cases Twitch is investigating have occurred outside of the scope of the platform. In these cases, determining how they violated Twitch’s guidelines and the appropriate punishment might take additional time. Twitch also stated that certain allegations will require contacting law enforcement and other outside agencies to help investigate details of the case.
Multiple streamers who have allegations against them have already seen bannings. Below is a list of confirmed streamers who have been banned so far:
- BlessRNG
- DreadedCone
- IAmSp00n
- WarwitchTV
- Wolv21
How Twitch is working on a safer community
The first action Twitch is taking to improve the platform is to make it easier to report offenders. On each streamer’s channel page there is now the option to report incidents confidentially. For those who do not want to visit a user’s page to report them, adding “/report” to the end of a user’s Twitch URL will take them directly to the reporting page without having to access the user’s content.
Twitch is also working on updating other tools for users to report harassment and other incidents that do not follow the Community Guidelines. Tools such as an enhanced offensive username detector and the AutoMod have begun. An updated Banned Words list is also on the way, along with several unannounced projects that are focused on reducing harassment and other offensive content and behavior. Twitch did not say when these updates will be available, but given the nature of the incidents Twitch wants to avoid, they will likely come soon.
“Those who have come forward have shown incredible strength, vulnerability, and bravery,” Twitch ended their update with. “We acknowledge that we can’t singlehandedly tackle pervasive issues across the gaming and broader internet communities, but we take our responsibility as a service for our community seriously.”
As more details of these incidents and more are revealed, make sure to follow Daily Esports for future updates.
