Hello, I have recently discovered that Twitch considers the following words to be against content guidelines:

Gay
Trans
Transexual

I am asking that these words be whitelisted in support of Twitch's vast queer community. It can be assumed these words were banned to cut down on trolling in the communities. However, I feel it should be the people who misuse these words who are regulated and punished. Not the queer people who's identities are being attacked and invalidated by having these words banned. This month is pride month and Twitch is showcasing queer creators on the front page every day while simultaneously saying that the words used to describe their identity are against their content policies. Please, can we correct this gross missight?

Given the widespread use of hostile bots on Twitch right now by bad actors, particularly those targeting LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities, it would be great if we could have a RegEx pattern block/ban/follow restriction option. A number of the accounts being spun up for the purpose of harassing and stealing the identities of streamers have consistent name patterns, and being able to issue a regex block/ban on those patterns would be useful.

This sort of feature would obviously be something that streamers would have to use at their own risk. Overly inclusive block/ban patterns could potentially limit legitimate viewers. But for those of us who are more tech savvy, this could be a massive time-saver.

On the same broad thrust, the ability to add users to a whitelist so as not to unfairly impact existing supporters of a channel, and either a temporal or behavioural filter which automatically adds users to a channel's whitelist would be useful. This could be a more effective approach than the current "followers only" or "subs only" chat options. More fine-grained control on the white-listing process would be appreciated.

For example:
Whitelist on account age
Whitelist on x minutes/hours/days follow age
Whitelist on x minutes/hours/days without mod action in <max> other channels
Whitelist on x minutes/hours/days without automod action in current channel
Whitelist on x minutes/hours/days without automod action in other channels

This could perhaps be branded as an "advanced mod tools" option which can be unlocked by the streamer at the account level so those comfortable with the existing system could use that, but those needing more nuanced tools could have such systems made available on request.

Given the existing infrastructure behind the (1) first-time chat callout experiment, (2) non-mod chat delay, and (3) automod caught message queue:

There should be a toggleable setting where the initial message of any newcomer to chat must be approved by a moderator for that and any subsequent messages to appear to non-mods. Thus, this would limit the ability of newcomers to send messages without prior approval.

Not only would this reduce how many eyes see hateful messages from human accounts, it would neutralize spambots from having their messages show up to non-mods -- a useful step in responding to the current wave of "hate raids," especially when these messages can include streamer dox info.

Technical note: such a feature must work whether the incoming chat originated from a raw websocket or the first-party site. That is, this should not depend on a gql token negotiation system as is implemented for the new_chatter ritual.

Additional nice-to-haves:

• Bulk ban/allow buttons for the queue this would create: Bulk ban would be useful upon a spambot attack while bulk allow would be useful upon a legitimate raid

• Official pubsub topic for listening to these caught messages. Official helix endpoint for approving them. This would allow third-party chat clients (e.g., Chatterino, Chatty) to hook into this system for power mods. Also, this would allow specialized bots to automate actions (e.g., ban all first-time chat messages that match a certain regex). Note: this does not need to be implemented for the initial release of this feature request - it's more important to have an agile response (and some third-party devs can live with unofficial pubsub to get the job done)

So I will break this into 3 parts. What it is, How it will work, and why I think it's needed. (first and 3rd part may overlap.)

My idea is to create a Channel Admin role for content creators at the affiliate and partner level. This role would have a golden sword (opposed to the green sword that regular moderators have) and would be able to remove/add people from moderator for the respective channel they are a channel admin for.

How this will work: Starting first, how it will be set up (in my head.) All affiliates are allowed 1 channel admin. Partners are allowed 2 or 3 [Whichever you think is more appropriate, larger streamers may need more. (You could also do it so that you get an additional based on sub points if this is better.) That person would have essentially the same roles that an "editor" now has along with all Mod perks, only addition is that they can add moderators to the channel as well as remove them.

Why this is needed: As a larger then average streamer, I, as is usual with people around my level, have a dedicated mod team with a manager that controls the mods, oversees them, etc.. I know a lot of other streamers that also do that and essentially give almost full oversight control of their mods to someone else as it's impossible to always keep up with chat, focus on what's going on, and pay attention to who is always there and deserves mod . It's a lot for one person as i'm sure anyone can agree. I know some streamers bigger then me that have multiple "managers" so to speak that oversee this stuff. These "unsung heros" (as twitch called them in their latest ad.) do a lot for the channel and I think acknowledging and awarding that is only appropriate. This would also help with the day to day back end management for larger/medium sized channels. I was actually surprised nothing like this had been suggested before and I hope other people will see my ideas as something worth backing.

This is directly copied from the proposal update from Jambo, which states as follows:

"Twitch Safety Support - Update Proposal by Jambo

1. UPDATED REPORTING TOOL
   Twitch’s reporting tool is outdated, and needs to be revamped. The biggest suggestion for this is to have a lesser detailed reporting still available on profiles but provide a link to something similar to submitting a ticket, but will allow the user to submit images as well as links (currently images cannot be uploaded with a report) be marked ‘high priority.’

2. HAVE A DIRECT CONTACT EMAIL ADDRESS FOR PARTNERS
   Along with an updated reporting tool, make it easier for Partners to contact the team for urgent matters. A ticket queue will not always work when situations require more attention, and allow actual responses to come through, not an automatic response to a ticket. Designate members of your team to reach out to, as well as reassure, those with high urgency situations.

3. CONDUCT ON OTHER PLATFORMS MUST HAVE MORE OF AN IMPACT ON TWITCH
   If a Twitch user harasses others on another platform, there is clearly a direct correlation and this needs to be addressed. Twitch should absolutely have open communication with other platforms, such as Twitter and Discord, and be able to abolish communities and users who bully, harass and target attacks on others. Their activity represents the site regardless and that responsibility absolutely falls on Twitch to make note when it’s brought to their attention. There may not be anything Twitch is able to do with regard to the other platforms, but can absolutely take matters into their own hands for theirs.

4. BUILD AN EMERGENCY/URGENT RESPONSE TEAM
   Twitch may be a streaming and gaming website but internet threats are all too real. Harassment and bullying are not medium level urgency. The mental health of the streaming community needs to be a higher priority. While there are definitely other large issues, many attacks online impact the very real lives of content creators every day. For a platform that cares heavily for inclusivity, safety and equality, there are not a lot of tools in place to ensure its safety.

5. STOP ALLOWING THE CREATION OF RACIST AND HATEFUL USERNAMES
   We are able to ban these words in our chats, it should be just as easy to create a filter that prevents names of this nature. Plain and simple. Allowing these words to be used, and their creation allowed, is setting us back. While there will always be an exception, the exception and rare circumstance is better than allowing these to be made with no precaution taken.

6. WORK WITH DISCORD TO BUILD A FILTER/INTEGRATION
   DISALLOWING BANNED ACCOUNTS JOIN A STREAMER’S DISCORD SERVER
   If a streamer or viewer has their Twitch linked to their account, any user who joins from a link originated by said streamer for their chat only (a creator link, if you will) that’s built into chat through a linked bot that does not allow users who have been banned in chat to join a Discord server.

7. DO NOT ALLOW BANNED USERS TO VIEW CONTENT
   While having banned users unable to see chat is a great step in the right direction, it’s not enough. As streamers, your personality is on video, not in chat. It’s great to keep your community safe, and unseen, but the streamer is more than likely the target in attacks like these. While, yes, incognito tabs exist and there is nothing that can be done with that (outside of IP bans, which should also be considered), it needs to be noted that keeping your creators safe should be a top priority.

8. NAME CARDS SHOW IF USER IS BANNED IN OTHER CHANNELS YOU MOD FOR
   When you click on a users name, mods in that channel should be able to see if this user has been banned in other channels that they mod for, and be made aware of potential incoming issues.

9. ADD A MODERATOR CHAT BUILT WITHIN MOD ‘VIEW’
   Build a chat box/space for moderators to discuss without leaving stream to talk in a separate app’s chat (i.e. Discord) and lose sight of chat in the process."

Moderators on the browser and desktop versions of twitch have incredible access to moderation tools such as mod icons, mod view etc. this makes handling larger chat rooms incredibly easy for a group of mods working together.

Unfortunately I, like many others, am in a position where I am a mod for a larger community, yet am often on the go and find myself using mobile twitch far more often than desktop. This makes it so much harder to keep chat under control, as the current moderation process on mobile is utterly laughable. Messages that would be deleted instantly if we were modding on other platforms will be shown in chat for a period of several seconds before we can even act on them due to the fact we need to press and hold on the persons name, then choose a moderation action. This causes huge headaches for the streamer, viewers in chat, and the other mods.

I would love to see more convenient mod icons on mobile twitch, or the ability to do quick 2 tap moderation by merely having to press chat member’s names, rather than hold for a period of time.

A condensed mod view page on mobile twitch would also be incredible, so that mods on the go are able to help with things like running predictions, unban requests, channel point rewards etc.

These changes being added to mobile twitch would be massive for moderators and streamers alike, allowing us to perform our roles just as well on the go, as if we were on a desktop.

Would be great if stream teams and streamers can share banned users with other streamers.

IE Streamer one has a offensive troll in their chat who gets banned. The streamer could have a option after or during the stream to share the ban with other streamers who are friends or in the same stream team.

Example
Streamer 1 bans "user 1" from their chat due to offensive or disturbing behaviour. Streamer 1 can then share that ban with a created "friends streamer list" where by they can say, user 1 was banned in my chat due to the following, please apply this to your channels.
Streamers 2,3,4 etc can then choose to accept the ban and click add to their channel or can chose to reject as they do not believe the ban affects them.

This is simply a copy paste of a reply from a recent reddit post on the subject. It's un edited for this purpose but it gets the point across. (Seeing as there are already 2 people asking for nudity, I figured the counter needed a spot)

I'm a Creative streamer. Long before Creative was a thing. I don't want nudity as part of broadcasts. Why? Several reasons. I run a business. Customers come to my channel to see my work, and one of the problems with nudity is that I don't want my business to be associated with it - Be it fine arts or hentai.

That brings up the second reason why I don't want nudity. What is art, and what is porn? There's no hard line, and just because something isn't porn or distasteful to you, doesn't mean it isn't for others. I believe that hentai for instance, is porn. But ask any person who draws hentai, and they'll say it isn't. That it's art (The two are not mutually exclusive).

third reason why I believe there shouldn't be nudity (Read: genitalia). It's an open category with many different streams and people. While GTA is a category with just that one game, and that one audience - It's an 18+ game, in an 18+ category. Creative isn't 18+, and it shouldn't be. There's no good way to allow children browsing Creative with, or without their parents, when there are people drawing dicks in there. (And setting channels to "mature" doesn't do jack)

Fourth reason, which is more of a counter argument to the idea that Twitch allows plenty nudity already: They don't. Plenty of games are banned from Twitch for the one reason that they display genitalia in one way or another - Recently Genital Jousting, which is a cartoony, and rather funny game in my opinion, about dick-jousting. There's a world of difference between a game character performing a lap-dance more or less clothed, and clearly displayed genitalia. (For the record, I don't think these games should be banned necessarily. They should simply have their own 18+ section - And one could possibly make an 18+ Creative section) An addition to this: Twitch does punish streamers who linger on sexual things in games. It can occur, but it canot be the focus of the broadcast.

Fifth reason. There's no real good way to moderate this. Even without nudity allowed we've seen countless examples of people crossing the line, be it artful drawing or straight up porn, that have allowed to stream for hours before being shut down. There's no incentive at Twitch to have an admin browsing Creative constantly, verifying that all broadcasts that display genitalia are not crossing whatever arbitrary line Twitch would have to set on "What's porn?"

Lastly. The idea that allowing nudity would help Creative grow has no real validity. What ever audience may be gained from it, would likely be trumped by the loss of younger audiences and sensitive people who choose to not browse the category, because it shows content they're not comfortable with. This doesn't need to be an ongoing discussion. Twitch is a private company, and they have a relatively strict policy on genitalia (Unlike Youtube that allows for videos of births and Genital Jousting for instance). Can nudity be allowed in a way that isn't detrimental? Possibly. Is it worth it to invest the resources so a handful of artist get to do that one painting they want to do? Probably not. There are so many things to do in art. If you can't do nudity on stream, it's not that big of a deal, in my honest opinion.

There are art streaming services that allow for nudity, so it's not like there's no place to broadcast this type of content. If anything, I think it's important that we retain a place where nudity isn't part of the Creative process, for the sake of the younger audience, and the more sensitive audience.

The amount of risky content on JTV back when I broadcasted on there was actually enough to make me not want to share my broadcast with people I knew - It had much looser content guidelines, and as a result, it ended up being something I for instance wouldn't want to show my parents, because you never knew when a cam girl was building up an audience she'd then move over to an actual camsite (They did this a lot), or just straight up porn streams. (Porn streams could run for hours as long as they didn't hit frontpage, so if viewer numbers got too high, the broadcaster would put on a weird clown video or something to make part of the audience leave - The lengths people would go just to broadcast porn was stupid - The issue was well known by one of the mods I spoke with at the time) - I don't want Twitch to risk this being anywhere near a possibility to become the norm on their site.

Allowing nudity could potentially make it difficult to secure licensing for shows like Bob Ross The Joy of Painting, and the various Food shows. There are likely going to be more of these things in the future, and if nudity has any detrimental effect on securing a deal for these marathons, it's doing much more harm than good.