Twitch's New Moderation Tool Detects Ban Evasion

Twitch Introduces New Ban Evasion Detection Tool

On Tuesday, Twitch launched a novel system designed to assist streamers in combating accounts created to circumvent channel-level bans. This automated feature, known as “Suspicious User Detection,” identifies users attempting to bypass bans, providing moderators with enhanced capabilities to address potentially disruptive conduct proactively.

The company initially announced the development of this ban evasion detection tool in August, responding to feedback from the community requesting more effective moderation options.

How the Tool Functions

When an account is identified as a “possible” or “likely” ban evader, moderators of the respective Twitch channel can manually intervene. This allows for a measured response to potential violations.

Messages originating from accounts flagged as “likely” violators will be automatically filtered from the chat, awaiting review by a moderator. Channels desiring a more stringent approach can extend this screening to accounts flagged as “possible” evaders.

Furthermore, moderators retain the ability to manually add users to a suspicious account list for closer monitoring.

Balancing Automation and Human Oversight

Twitch acknowledges the potential for false positives inherent in any automated moderation system. However, the company aims to achieve a balance between proactive detection, powered by machine learning, and the judgment of human moderators.

Community expertise is paramount, and Twitch emphasizes that moderators should retain the final authority regarding participation within their communities. The system is designed to improve over time through continuous learning from moderator input.

Integration with Existing Moderation Features

This new system is intended as a modular addition to existing tools like AutoMod, which reviews potentially harmful messages, and Phone-Verified Chat.

The Phone-Verified Chat feature, implemented last month, requires account verification via phone number before participation. Twitch currently allows up to five accounts per phone number, but a channel ban now applies to all accounts linked to that number, effectively closing a common loophole.

Addressing Community Concerns

Twitch streamers have consistently advocated for increased platform protection, particularly for creators vulnerable to online harassment.

This year, campaigns such as #ADayOffTwitch and #TwitchDoBetter brought increased attention to the experiences of marginalized creators facing widespread abuse, prompting a response from Twitch.

The company acknowledged the prevalence of botting, hate raids, and other forms of harassment targeting marginalized creators, and pledged to improve its response to these issues.

Diversity and Harassment on Twitch

A recent data leak revealed a lack of diversity among top streamers, with white men dominating the upper echelons of success. This disparity, coupled with targeted harassment, has created significant challenges for underrepresented creators.

In May, Twitch introduced over 350 tags to facilitate streamer discovery based on characteristics like gender, sexuality, race, and ability. While intended to promote diversity, concerns were raised that the system could also facilitate targeted harassment.

In September, Twitch filed a lawsuit against two individuals linked to thousands of bots used in mass harassment campaigns, demonstrating a more assertive stance against malicious activity.