Twitch received a reaction after the chat on its own official channel was filled with hateful comments during the Participation Award ceremony.
As part of Twitch’s celebration to its community, on January 23 it held a Participation Award to commemorate the work of its streamers and the community.
The broadcast focused on using Twitch chat as a direct medium between hosts and viewers. But, while the event was taking place, some, including partnered streamers, criticized Twitch for ineffectively moderating chat messages.
Twitch was criticized because the hateful comments were not moderated.
Twitch partner and variety streamer negaoryx have called on the platform for allowing the chat to be “full” of hate speech and harassment of guests and hosts of awards.
“I am immeasurably angry at the lack of protection and care Muscular contraction it shows its marginalized creators, ”she said.
I am immeasurably angry at the lack of protection and care @Muscular contraction shows its marginalized creators.
MODERATE YOUR CHANNELS. Apply your own terms of service. I can’t even watch and enjoy this stream because I’m spending my time reporting all the hate and harassment comments I see.
– negaoryx (@negaoryx) January 23, 2021
“Chat users are spewing hate speech and harassing invited streamers. 3 mod names in the chat list, but since I’m watching, ZERO messages have been deleted.
“I can’t even watch and enjoy this stream because I spend my time reporting all the hate and harassment comments I see. Is it difficult to have at least ONE person moderating these official Twitch broadcasts? “
MsAshRocks, who appeared as the final guest on the stream, also asked Twitch to crack down on the hate speech. She said: “I mentioned a slip in the fundraiser for [BLM] protesters and they went crazy LMAO. “
I mentioned a slide in the fundraiser for the protesters and they went crazy LMAO
MATTER OF BLACK LIVES. I will always use my platform to scream at all of this.
MODERATE YOUR CHATS.
I had a lot of fun and I thank my community for spreading love there! 🥲🧡 https://t.co/4ZlvzkDNbV
– Ashley💋 (@MsAshRocks) January 23, 2021
Tanya “CypherofTyr” DePass, director of nonprofit game diversity I Need Diverse Games, echoed the calls, as she said: “That’s why I never watch the real main channels of Twitch / Twitch Gaming, but the host on mine, so we have a safe place to watch.
Another Twitch partner, Imperial, praised negaoryx for speaking out and labeled the situation “systemic problem” within Twitch.
This is a systemic problem for @Muscular contraction and I thank you when people like @negaoryx talk about it.
Years. Literal years. I had to call the local police after threats of doxing, so many racist comments and usernames that I saw no action. Months of constant harassment. Do it better. https://t.co/s6LkS9gYPd
– Imperial (@Imperialgrrl) January 24, 2021
She said: “I had to call the local police after threats of doxing, so many racist comments and usernames that I saw no action. Months of constant harassment. Do it better.”
Twitch has not yet responded publicly to the situation.
This was not the only stream disaster. It turns out that one of the prizes was inadvertently handed over to a bot account, rather than a real person.
Some turbulent days for the platform, as users condemned his decision to ban a 15-year-old streamer with 90,000 followers because he had created his account when he was under 13. Meanwhile, other major streamers on the platform who also made their account when under 13 went unpunished.