Twitch introduces optional verification requirements against ‘hate raids’ in stream chats

Twitch has introduced new tools to combat so-called hate raids. In addition, large groups of people visit live streams and put unwanted messages in the chat en masse. Twitch uses phone and email authentication as the means to filter these users.

If desired, streamers can enable the filters themselves. For telephone and e-mail verification can be set separately whether this is a requirement or not and to what extent. It can apply to all or some of the chatters, such as first-time participants, participants whose account has just been created, or participants who have just started following the streamer. Those length of time requirements can vary from 10 minutes to 3 months.

Streamers can set the conditions, but also make exceptions for VIPs, paid subscribers and moderators. The filter functionalities are not enabled by default.

Streamers on the platform held a protest against hate raids on September 1. They decided not to stream on that day, which Eurogamer believes led to a drop in viewership from the average 4.5 million at peak times to around 3.5 million. Twitch responded to the case at the time by saying that they are “working hard on improved channel-level ban evasion detection and additional account improvements to make Twitch a safer place for creators.”