Twitch updates its sexual harassment policy

Twitch has made significant updates to its sexual harassment policy on Tuesday, July 23.

The Amazon-controlled streaming service has clarified its community guidelines regarding sexual harassment to make them more understandable and stronger in combating such behavior.

In addition, Twitch has made improvements to its AutoMod moderation feature. Now, streamers on Twitch have the ability to block potentially harmful chat messages that may contain sexual harassment content.

About a month ago, a scandal broke out regarding Guy “Dr Disrespect” Beahm. It was then disclosed that Twitch had ended his contract due to accusations he had sexted with a minor through their private messaging system called Whispers.

What does Twitch consider sexual harassment?

Twitch clarified on July 23 that sexual harassment goes beyond physical actions and includes verbal or written comments that make users feel uneasy, disrespected, or threatened. The following behaviors are prohibited: remarks about someone’s appearance or body, unwanted sexual advances or requests, objectification of a person’s sexuality, and derogatory comments related to their perceived sexual activities or behaviors. Furthermore, we do not allow the dissemination of non-consensually recorded intimate images or videos. Such content will be reported to law enforcement.

Twitch updates AutoMod to combat sexual harassment

I’ve had the pleasure of working with various online communities, and I can tell you that dealing with inappropriate or offensive messages is a common challenge. One effective solution I’ve encountered is using a tool like AutoMod. If you’re not well-versed with this technology, let me explain: AutoMod is an intelligent system designed to scan chat messages for potential issues. When it identifies a message that might be problematic, it holds it back and sends it to the moderators for review before it gets broadcasted to the community. This way, we can ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all members.

As a gamer, I’m excited about this new feature Twitch is introducing. When enabled, it will act as an extra shield, intercepting messages that might be inappropriate before they even reach the chat window. And the best part? You can adjust the settings to suit your preferences – make it as lenient or strict as you’d like. Plus, as a streamer or moderator, you still have full control over any messages AutoMod holds back. We can choose to approve them, ignore them, or even ban users if necessary. This way, we maintain the community standards while ensuring a smooth gaming experience for everyone involved.

This new AutoMod category will roll out today. However, it’s only available in English to start.