With the ongoing outbreaks of follow and hate bots "raids", the creation of multiple accounts is simply too easy to abuse on the platform. Creating an account on Twitch does not require an authentic email address before using its services: watching content, following a streamer, sending messages in streamers chats, modifying the account details, etc.

Many streamers are being harrassed by bots and "IP Grabbers" by:
- Mass following streamers with inappropriate names and account details;
- Mass spamming chats with obscene languages and characters (ex: racism, homophobia, transphobia, nazi, etc..);
- Having extensions on their user profile which allows them to grab the IP Address of Twitch users, and broadcasting them.

At the moment, when creating an account, you do not need an authentic email address and you are not required to verify the account since there is a function to verify at a later time with "Remind me later" (Example of account creation: https://youtu.be/1waYtIUHkz4)

My proposition is the following:
Before using any of Twitch services, the account must be verified by email, and there should not be any way to by-pass this verification process. To sign-up to Twitch, the user should be inserting their email address, in which a one-time registration link could be sent out to.

Doing this will slow down the creation of fake accounts used to mass follow & mass hate streamers.

I am in agreement with people requesting a reduction on the time before you're able to change your username. Even if i have to wait 2 months before i can change it to something else, I've tested out my current username, as of posting this, and have discovered i hate it. If you could revert a user name change in the first 24 hours at least, even if i had to wait 2 months until i try again, it would solve a lot of people's problems with it. I also hate how there's no way of testing out a username without having to commit to it for 2 months to begin with.

Right now i can't chat on any twitch cause its asking for me to enter a mobile number. and despite my repeated attempts at getting SOMEONE to disable this stupid targeting on my accounts, nobody is listening. And no I'm not giving my mobile number. u have my verified email and i shouldn't be scrutinized to enter a mobile number. If you need mobile numbers on my account then i'm not using twitch period. and unsubbing from everything and moving to another platform. the fact you single me out for using twitch-tools.de and a vpn shows you don't care about user privacy at all. so stop with this pointless and easy to circumvent security measure that is only infuriating me and others.

There should be something such as a page where people can search a username they want in order to check when it will be available.

This is especially necessary because previously used parter usernames are never available again, but as far as anyone is aware, there is no archive or list of those “never available” usernames.

Wanting a username that isn’t being used and trying to change to that username every day without knowing how long you will have to keep trying for it is absolutely exhausting and shouldn’t be something creators have to go through. Make it easier to work on our branding.

This may require a bigger team of course to implement, but I just signed up for a freelance website and the sign up process, is actually an application to use this site. I was required to verify my identity via uploading a photo of my ID AND a verifying statement such as a paystub, utility bill, etc. And also address verification (or at least a mailing/billing address) which should be added to the account anyways since payment information is stored for subscriptions.

I know that twitch has a younger population so that may not work, but it may also be a better way to minimize hate content if people know that usernames WILL be linked to verified personable accounts. That information can then be stored only for account verification purposes so no one can create an account using the same ID twice. If an account is voluntarily deleted, they must wait 60 days to sign up again using the same ID. And banned account cannot create other accounts using the same address as banned account or ID.

Just an idea to deal with hate raids and being able to identify culprits. It may take down viewership or the creation of new accounts essentially, but I do believe this will make Twitch a safer place.

For existing accounts, give them x amount of days to comply with the new requirements prior to accounts being forcefully suspended or deleted.

A workaround will have to be established for minors or Twitch may have to have a parental feature or an age restriction verified by ID.

There are a host of problems on Twitch and I feel as though this idea could be a solution to some of the bigger ones.

I suggest giving streamers the option to only allow accounts with 2fa to access their channel. Make it an option for the individual streamer and make it toggleable.

In order for this to work, Twitch must do more than just “not allow the user to use chat.” Twitch needs to stop them from accessing the streamer’s channel all together. The same needs to be done for users who are banned/blocked but that is a whole other discussion.

There should also be a way to have this feature enabled, but with a customizable exemption list so that streamers can still allow their nightbots, moobots, etc access.

As someone who has faced harassment from a person viewbotting me for 10 months now, this is one of the only solutions I can think of to combat this. By only allowing accounts connected to a phone number to access my page, I would no longer be harassed this way.

It would also eliminate the problem of people constantly harassing with alternate accounts.

It would also be a good option for when someone is playing a new game and wants to stop people from using alt accounts to spoil.

These are just a few benefits I could see coming out of this!

Please Twitch, it is time to do more to protect your creators. As someone whose issues have been constantly pushed aside, I ask that you consider this solution not just for me, but for every streamer that’s faced harassment as I have.

I tried to use a password that is autogenerated by my password manager. Obviously I won't put that here, but another one generated by it is: "speed applause deceiver endpoint cash freckles polygraph mothball unsaid raffle vacant unmoved".
This is apparently "not secure" and "too easy to guess". Instead I had to make it: "speed applause deceiver endpoint cash freckles polygraph mothball unsaid raffle vacant unmoved1!"

Its worth pointing out that adding a password requirement of any kind besides length and restricting obvious dictionary sequences is well known (even by the US government via its most recent NIST standards) to result in weaker, not stronger protections, as people tend to follow the same pattern of character replacement in order to meet arbitrary complexity requirements.

The recycle program needs a massive overhaul.

There are far to many people waiting on unused usernames that are not released in a timely fashion.

I have been watching two names for years now. One is simply completely inactive with zero information on the profile and has never followed anyone, for years. That account also has never responded to private messages to even suggest someone logged in. **** I'd buy their account name from them if there was anyway I could contact them.

The other has the "Unless you have a time machine." message and may be an old twitch staff, or previous partner, but i have no way of knowing that. Can't they supply some reason to why I can't change to that name?

Such as: "This username is unavailable and is exempt from the recycle program"

Then in the FAQ they can just state the names that fall into this category are the old staff, partner.. etc names. So we know we won't get it. Transparency! And it wouldn't be difficult, Twitch I'm sure already has a list of names it will not release in its database, just tell us why.

I would like to suggest that there be way when we go to change our name and it says its "unavailable" for name change, that we can request a flag on it. That it can then be checked for activity and if it is actually inactive within the username recycle programs guidelines it can be put in an upcoming recycle. I'm sure this can be automated, Twitch can see if a name has logged in within six months or a year and if not then flag it, and actually do this, not like right now where inactive names MAY be recycled but probably won't be in any timely manner.

Inactive accounts under threat of recycle don't have to be deleted, you could just append the name with a bunch of random characters in case the owner comes back and you can be sure to send out multiple emails letting them know what is about to happen if they don't log in. Though this would defeat the purpose of clearing up space due to inactive accounts, at least you wouldn't be worried about someone not returning later because their name is gone.

They should also in some way be required to actually use the name. Why are some names taken but are not in use? Is there protection from possible name sellers? (Not that i've ever seen one for Twitch but its common in other areas, such as website urls, mmos usernames, social media handles) What if someone has taken a name and only logs in once a year on that alt account but that account has zero activity, they don't chat or watch any videos? Is that fair or right? Why is that allowed? Shouldn't that name be available for someone who will use it?

The current system suggests that inactive accounts will be recycled but it could take as little as six months or it could take years. We have no way of knowing when that will be or even if the name we want is eligible for recycle. I had a **** of time just getting twitch to tell me if Curse usernames from when Twitch bought Curse and automatically created accounts for them would be eligible to recycle. I was told all those names have already been recycled, but it took multiple emails and explaining on my end as the twitch staff responding just wanted to send me copy paste responses that never addressed my question.

Of course partners/affiliates and old staff names should be exempt from this to avoid possible fraud/impersonation.