Twitch Announces New Verification Tools to Fight Hate Raids GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO News > Streaming

Twitch Announces New Verification Tools to Fight Hate Raids

Requires phone verification to use chat

By Cesar Cadenas Cesar Cadenas Writer California State University - Long Beach Cesar Cadenas has been writing about the tech industry since 2016 on a variety of topics like cryptocurrency, video games, the latest gadgets, and much more. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on September 30, 2021 03:26PM EDT Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Streaming Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming In response to a recent wave of hate raids, Twitch is implementing new verification tools to combat the ever-increasing problem. According to the company's official blog post, Twitch is adding phone-verified chat and expanding its email verification settings so content creators can have better control over who interacts with them. The update is available to all streamers and can be accessed via Settings in the Creator Dashboard. Complexio/Getty Images Phone-verified chat requires users to verify their phone numbers before using the chat. This feature, alongside the new email verification settings, gives the streamer more control over who can participate. However, Twitch doesn’t say what the email verification settings are or what they entail. VIP members, subscribers, and mods can be made exempt from verifying. And in an effort to combat ban evasion, Twitch will ban all accounts connected to a verified phone number or email if there is a problem. The new verification system is the latest tool in combating hate raids. Previously, Twitch implemented new chat filters to protect streamers from harassment, but despite those filters, the bullying continued. RyanKing999/Getty Images Raiding was originally meant for streamers to share audiences with others by redirecting viewers to another stream. However, bad actors have exploited this feature to harass and attack streamers. It has gotten so bad that Twitch is suing two users who allegedly started these hate raids. The company claims that while there is no single solution to stop this behavior, the new system will expand the tools and technology used to slow the hate. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Instagram Steps Up User Safety With Better Blocking Tools and Hidden Words Messenger Rooms: How to Use Facebook's Video Chat Feature How to Get Verified on Twitch How to Request a Song on Twitch The 4 Best Slack Security Tips to Keep Your Team Chats Safe How to Block Twitch Ads How to Play Music on Twitch How to Link Twitch to Discord How to Download and Install Microsoft's FCIV Tool Twitch: Everything You Need to Know Twitch Subscriptions: What They Are and How They Work 7 Ways to Make Money Streaming Video Games on Twitch The 7 Most Popular Twitch Emotes of 2022 So You Want to Stream Minecraft How to Set up Donations on Twitch The Complete List of Twitch Commands Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies