Twitch updates sexual harassment policy and moderation tools

The fallout of Guy "Dr. Disrespect" Beahm's ban from Twitch in 2020 is still being felt, as the streamer unveiled some new changes to combat sexual harassment on its platform.

In a new blog post, Twitch underlined that sexual harassment "is never okay or acceptable" and clarified its policy in reflection of Beahm's actions so they'd be "easier to understand."

Chiefly, the policy's language now prohibits "unwanted comments" about someone's body (like implied or sexually charged emojis), sexual advances or objectification, and negative statements related to a person's "perceived sexual behavior or activities."

Likewise, recording or sharing nonconsensual images or videos is equally not tolerated, and Twitch warned such actions "may be reported to law enforcement."

"We want our service to be the best and safest place to stream," wrote Twitch, "and that means drawing clear boundaries around what behaviors are and aren’t allowed."

Further, its Automod tool has now been reworked to better detect and hold potentially harmful messages before they're published in a streamer's chat. A mod will have the right to approve a message or prevent it from being seen by others.

Automod has also received a new category to filter out messages that may be considered sexual harassment. Mods will be able to block those messages before they show in chat, and settings can be tweaked for greater (or less) leniency.

The categorization feature is currently only available in English, but other languages will be added in the future.

Twitch encourages users to report harassment through the moderation tools offered. While some messages can be appealed, the company says, "...there are some behaviors, like expressing a desire to commit sexual violence, that are never allowed, regardless of these signals."