Twitch Adds Phone Verification & Enhanced Email Authentication to Combat Hate Raids

Twitch Enhances Security Measures to Combat Harassment

Twitch has revealed new security features at the channel level designed to mitigate harassment occurring on its platform. Creators and their moderators now have the capability to activate verified chat, a system that necessitates chat participants to confirm their phone number and/or email address prior to posting messages.

Verified Chat Configuration Options

These settings offer flexibility, allowing verification to be required for all users, only first-time chatters, accounts below a specified age, or those who haven't followed the streamer for a designated period. By default, these settings remain inactive until a channel owner chooses to enable them. Exceptions are also available to ensure VIPs, subscribers, and moderators can bypass the verification process.

Unlike two-factor authentication, a user only needs to complete phone or email verification once, and this verification applies across all channels they interact with.

Preventing Account Abuse

Twitch allows users to associate up to five accounts with a single phone number. However, if one account is banned from a channel, all accounts linked to that phone number or email address will also be banned. This measure aims to deter the creation of numerous malicious accounts using the same contact information, simplifying moderation for streamers.

Furthermore, a suspension of a phone-verified account on a sitewide basis will also result in the suspension of any linked accounts. While alternative phone numbers, such as those provided by Google Voice, could be utilized, this introduces an additional obstacle for individuals intending to engage in harmful behavior.

Context of Rising Community Tensions

The Twitch community has experienced heightened tensions recently, with creators from underrepresented groups – particularly Black and LGBTQ+ individuals – facing targeted harassment, often facilitated through the platform’s raid system.

The Raid System and its Misuse

Originally intended as a means for established streamers to support emerging talent, the raid feature allows streamers to direct their audience to another channel when they conclude their broadcast. However, this functionality has been exploited by malicious actors to send waves of bots that deliver targeted harassment during live streams.

Twitch clarified to TechCrunch that the majority of these coordinated attacks aren't actually conducted through the raid tool itself, characterizing the term "raid" in this context as a colloquialism.

Community Response and Advocacy

In May, Twitch introduced 350 new channel tags encompassing gender, sexual orientation, race, and ability, responding to user requests for improved discoverability of diverse creators. Unfortunately, these tags were subsequently weaponized to target marginalized streamers.

The platform initially lacked sufficient tools to address this harassment, leading some creators to develop their own safety measures, such as “panic buttons” that execute a series of chat commands. This prompted a call to action with the hashtag #TwitchDoBetter.

Subsequently, streamers including LuciaEverblack, ShineyPen, and RekItRaven – the originator of the tag system – organized #ADayOffTwitch, a day-long boycott of the platform.

Demands from the Boycott

The #ADayOffTwitch boycott was accompanied by specific demands. Participating streamers requested control over incoming raids, implementation of age restrictions, limitations on email signups, and a clear timeline for the deployment of comprehensive anti-harassment tools.

Following the boycott, Twitch initiated legal proceedings against two users connected to thousands of bot accounts used in hate raids.

Future Security Enhancements

Today’s announcement addresses one of the demands made during the boycott. However, Twitch communicated to TechCrunch that the development and testing of phone-verified chat were underway prior to the surge in hate raids.

Community feedback from UserVoice and the Ambassadors Discord also played a role in shaping these additions. Twitch stated in a blog post that further channel-level ban-evasion tools are planned for release. Streamers currently have the option to restrict raids to only friends, teammates, and followed channels.

The company has not publicly disclosed a schedule for the rollout of these safety features, potentially to avoid providing malicious actors with information that could aid in circumventing the new measures.

Accessing the New Settings

Creators can access the new settings through their Dashboard → Settings → Moderation. Moderators can manage these settings via “Manage Moderation Settings” within the Chat interface.

Updated 9/28/21, 8:30 PM EST with additional commentary from Twitch regarding hate raids.