Currently, it is easy to tell if a user that sent a message in a streamer’s channel is a subscriber, VIP, or moderator of that channel. However, there is no way to tell if that user is a follower of the channel.

With the rise of hate raids and malicious messages, I want to ensure that if a streamer is using a chat box overlay, that they have the option to only let messages from followers appear. Malicious users usually don’t follow the channel, and so this will prevent their messages from appearing on stream.

I do understand that this would be a temporary measure at best, because eventually they might catch on (if they even notice) and start following before sending their message. It is still worth doing. It will help.

I also understand that follower-only mode exists. But that is detrimental to gaining new chatters, and it’s easy enough for malicious users to follow once they realize that the channel is on follower-only mode and then send their message. With a follow tag, malicious users may not even realize that their message didn’t show up in the overlay, since they’re usually there to listen to the streamer’s reaction instead. This can ensure that most malicious messages will not show up in clips or VODs.