Echoing its Donald Trump ban, Twitch to punish users for off-platform behaviour in new approach to moderation
- Amazon-owned Twitch said under its new rules it would take action against offline offences that posed a ‘substantial safety risk’ to its community
- The new standards will apply even if the target of the offline behaviour is not a Twitch user or if the perpetrator was not a user when they committed the acts
Live-streaming service Twitch will ban users for offences such as hate-group membership or credible threats of mass violence that occur entirely away from the site in a new approach to moderating the platform.
The Amazon-owned platform – which is primarily used for watching people play video games but also pop concerts and even football matches – said under its new rules it would take enforcement actions against offline offences that posed a “substantial safety risk” to its community.
It said examples of this “severe misconduct” include terrorist activities, child sexual exploitation, violent extremism, credible threats of mass violence, carrying out or deliberately acting as an accomplice to sexual assault, and threatening Twitch or its staff.
“Taking action against misconduct that occurs entirely off our service is a novel approach for both Twitch and the industry at large, but it’s one we believe – and hear from you – is crucial to get right,” the company said in a blog post.
Major social media companies Facebook and Twitter largely focus their rules and enforcement actions on content and activity on the actual services, with exceptions for certain individuals or organisations they have designated as dangerous or violent.
