Twitch is introducing a new enforcement strategy where strikes for certain offenses will depreciate over time.
Dan Clancy, the CEO of Twitch, just announced that a shared chat feature will be tested on-stream tonight for streamers using the knock/guest-star feature!
This will allow multiple people streaming together to have one large shared chat for the stream 😯 pic.twitter.com/eF3JsAw9Lp
— OTK (@OTKnetwork) September 20, 2024
Users will now receive more information about their strikes and can take educational courses to reduce the severity of enforcement actions. Rob Lewington, Twitch’s VP of safety operations, and Kristen Murdock, the director of safety risk and response, spoke about the new program.
Twitch announced bans on the platform will be more transparent:
-In chat an excerpt from the messages will be sent to the user in an email
-Streamers will be sent clips of their violations so they understand why they were banned
-Streamers and chatters will be able to appeal pic.twitter.com/IQlLe0P1p6
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) September 20, 2024
Lewington emphasized that safety is Twitch’s highest priority, mentioning that the platform hosts over 105 million users per month, with 1.3 trillion minutes of content viewed annually. Currently, when a streamer violates Twitch’s community guidelines, they receive an enforcement action such as a warning or suspension, which counts as a strike. After accumulating a certain number of strikes, a streamer’s account can be suspended indefinitely.
Lewington explained that the current system is particularly punitive for long-time users as strikes do not expire. In the new system, strikes for “low severity” offenses will expire after a certain period. While Twitch did not provide a comprehensive list of these offenses, accidental nudity was mentioned as an example.
TwitchCon “swag bags” for attendees feature thumb-sticks and acne cream pic.twitter.com/lEPRN917z2
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) September 20, 2024
Twitch’s new strike expiration policy
The timeline for these expirations is still being finalized. However, strikes for high-severity offenses, including child safety incidents, terrorism, or hateful conduct, will never depreciate.
Starting next year, Twitch will provide more context when a violation occurs. The relevant chat message or video clip will be shared to help users understand why an enforcement action was taken. This additional information will also be useful for users considering filing an appeal.
Twitch will offer educational courses for users who receive strikes. For instance, a person who received a strike for hateful conduct could reduce the length of their suspension by completing a relevant course and quiz. Twitch has collaborated with the Anti-Defamation League and other experts to develop these courses, which cover subjects like hateful conduct, sexual content, and gambling.
The objective is to create consistent messaging for both streamers and moderators regarding actions that constitute violations. Overall, Twitch’s new strategy aims to maintain community safety while providing opportunities for users to learn from their mistakes and improve their behavior.
