Twitch Boycott: Streamers Protest Hate Raids | Why Are They Leaving?

Growing Concerns Over Hate Raids Prompt Twitch Streamer Protest

Recently, a significant number of Twitch users have expressed increasing worry and dissatisfaction regarding bot-driven incidents of harassment, known as hate raids. In response to what they perceive as a delayed reaction from Twitch in addressing targeted harassment against creators from marginalized communities, a protest is underway today, with some streamers choosing to go offline as part of #ADayOffTwitch.

Demands for Platform Improvement

Participants in the protest are circulating a list of specific requests directed towards Twitch, which is owned by Amazon. These demands include hosting a discussion forum with creators impacted by hate raids, granting streamers the ability to approve or reject incoming raids, and implementing chat restrictions based on account age.

Further requests involve limiting the number of accounts linked to a single email address to three or fewer, and a clear timeline for the rollout of comprehensive anti-harassment measures.

Twitch provided a statement to TechCrunch regarding these demands. The company affirmed its support for streamers’ rights to expression and acknowledged the importance of addressing issues on the service.

The Weaponization of Raids

Twitch’s raid feature – a cultural element where one streamer directs their audience to another’s channel at the end of their broadcast – has been exploited for malicious purposes. Originally intended to foster support for emerging streamers, it has become a vehicle for harassment.

In May, Twitch introduced 350 new tags relating to gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and disability, responding to user requests for improved discoverability of diverse creators.

However, these tags simultaneously provided a means for malicious actors to more easily target marginalized streamers, and Twitch has yet to provide adequate tools to mitigate the resulting increase in harassment. Consequently, users have been compelled to develop their own safety mechanisms while awaiting updates from Twitch.

Policy Updates and Continued Abuse

Despite updates to its policies on hateful content and harassment in December – policies that were already in place prohibiting such behavior – Twitch has continued to experience severe attacks. RekItRaven, a Black Twitch creator, initiated the #TwitchDoBetter hashtag on Twitter in early August following a series of targeted, racist hate raids on their stream, criticizing Twitch’s perceived inaction.

While Twitch acknowledges the problem and states it is working on solutions, many users consider the response to be insufficient and too slow.

Organizing the Protest

RekItRaven, alongside LuciaEverblack and ShineyPen, spearheaded the #ADayOffTwitch movement to exert pressure on Twitch to enhance the safety of its platform for marginalized creators.

“The presence of hate on the platform isn’t a new phenomenon,” Raven explained to WYNC’s The Takeaway. “However, these bot-driven raid attacks present a greater challenge than dealing with individual harassers. I’ve encountered instances where individuals deploy bots, circumventing security protocols to flood a broadcaster’s chat with inflammatory and offensive language.”

Raven mentioned having a conversation with Twitch representatives, but doesn’t believe a single discussion is enough to resolve the issue.

Financial Alternatives and Market Share

As part of #ADayOffTwitch, some streamers are encouraging their viewers to provide financial support on alternative platforms using the #SubOffTwitch tag. Given that Twitch retains 50% of streamer revenue, creators are promoting their accounts on platforms like Patreon and Ko-Fi, which have lower fees.

Although YouTube Gaming takes 30% of revenue and Facebook Gaming won’t impose fees until 2023, Twitch currently dominates the streaming market. Data from Streamlabs and Stream Hatchet indicates Twitch held 72.3% of the market share in terms of viewership during the first quarter of 2021.

Creator Exodus and Future Implications

Notably, prominent creators such as Ben Lupo (DrLupo), Jack Dunlop (CouRage), and Rachell Hofstetter (Valkyrae) have recently transitioned to YouTube Gaming through exclusive agreements. If Twitch fails to provide a safe environment for marginalized creators, further departures – even without exclusive deals – may occur.