Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS
‘Regardless of ban status, logged-out users can still access and watch streams.’
Twitch, the popular live-streaming platform, recently announced a forthcoming update that will allow streamers to prevent banned users from accessing their streams. In a recent episode of Twitch’s Patch Notes podcast, Senior Product Manager Trevor Fisher revealed that streamers will have the option to block banned chatters from viewing their streams. However, this feature will not be enabled by default and is expected to roll out in the coming weeks (via TechCrunch).
According to Fisher, when a user is banned and currently watching a stream, their playback will be immediately interrupted, revoking their ability to view the stream. Additionally, even if the banned user attempts to watch subsequent streams after the streamer or a moderator has banned them, they will still be unable to do so until they are unblocked.
It is important to note that this new blocking feature will only apply to logged-in users. Viewers who are not logged into their Twitch accounts will still be able to watch streams, as the platform currently does not block IP addresses. While this limitation exists, it still represents a step towards addressing some of the platform’s moderation issues.
Fisher emphasized that this update is an incremental change and only partially tackles the platform’s moderation problems, including recent allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct made by multiple women against Twitch streamers. In response to these concerns, Twitch has implemented various measures, such as introducing a one-button anti-harassment tool, improving their reporting and appeals process, rewriting community policies, and adopting a stronger stance against deepfakes.
Acknowledging the need for further action, Fisher stated, “We know that this is an area where people want us to do more, and it’s just been shipping off one part of the problem at a time.” Twitch continues to work towards creating a safer and more inclusive environment for its users.