Twitch is making significant updates to how it enforces its community guidelines.
In a recent announcement, the platform revealed a revamped strategy where certain rule violations will see their associated strikes fade over time. Users will also gain access to more details about their infractions and can even take educational courses to mitigate the consequences of their actions.
Rob Lewington, Twitch’s VP of safety operations, and Kristen Murdock, director of safety risk and response, explained the new approach in an interview with The Verge. Lewington emphasized that safety remains Twitch’s top priority, especially considering its vast user base of over 105 million monthly users and a staggering 1.3 trillion minutes of content consumed. But with such growth, moderating the platform has become increasingly challenging, particularly when it comes to punishing rule-breakers.
Under the current system, streamers who violate community guidelines receive penalties, such as warnings or suspensions, which contribute to a strike on their account. Accumulate enough strikes, and the account can face permanent suspension. However, Lewington acknowledged that this system was unfair, particularly to long-time users, as strikes never expired. “We don’t want to be punitive towards users who have been on Twitch for a long time,” he said.
With the new changes, strikes for less serious violations will now expire after a set period. While Twitch hasn’t yet finalized all the details, they mentioned that accidental nudity would fall under the category of “low severity” offenses. However, strikes tied to severe violations, such as child safety issues, terrorism, or hate speech, will remain permanent.
Another key aspect of the update is that users will receive more context when they face a penalty. Starting next year, Twitch plans to provide users with the specific chat message or clip that triggered the enforcement action, helping them understand the violation better and potentially giving them grounds to appeal.
Twitch is also introducing educational courses to help users learn from their mistakes. Murdock shared an example where someone involved in hateful conduct could shorten their suspension by completing a related educational course and quiz. To develop these courses, Twitch collaborated with organizations like the Anti-Defamation League and other experts, focusing on topics such as hate speech, sexual content, and gambling.
Overall, this new enforcement strategy reflects Twitch’s aim to balance user safety with opportunities for growth and learning, allowing users to correct their mistakes while keeping the community secure.
