After the extensive discussions about sexual assaults and discrimination against women in gaming, Twitch wants to take stronger action from now on. The streaming platform will punish violations with permanent bans.
With permabanns Twitch threatens all users who are guilty of sexual abuse or harassment. This is a reaction to the discussions of the past days. Numerous women, some of them active streamers themselves, reported about their experiences and partly traumatic experiences.
An update on our investigations into the recent allegations of sexual abuse and harassment involving Twitch streamers and actions we’re taking. https://t.co/OLJzU9LEVU
— Twitch (@Twitch) June 25, 2020
Twitch turns authorities on and works on new tools
For serious cases, Twitch also announced that depending on the situation, it may be necessary to involve the competent authorities in the investigations. Above all, this step should be taken as soon as the events do not occur directly on the platform. Twitch wants to gather as much information as possible on each case before a permanent penalty is imposed.
In addition to tougher penalties, the streaming platform also wants to improve the tools and guidelines for combating harassment and hate. For example, the “AutoMod” tool is to be equipped with an updated list of forbidden words and extended to include “other projects to reduce harassment and hate”.
