While Twitch has long provided tools to manage chat bans, the platform is now taking a step further by granting streamers the authority to determine who can initially access their streams.
In its latest installment of Patch Notes, a monthly update showcase, Twitch unveiled its upcoming feature that will allow streamers to block banned users from viewing their streams. This feature, once enabled by moderators or streamers, not only removes banned users from chat but also instantly expels them from the live stream itself.
Scheduled to launch within the coming weeks, this new anti-harassment tool seamlessly integrates into Twitch’s existing blocking tools, automatically disallowing blocked users from engaging with a stream.
By default, this feature won’t be activated for dealing with banned users. However, streamers will have the option to toggle it on within their moderation settings. During the Patch Notes presentation, Trevor Fisher, Twitch’s Senior Product Manager, explained that this safety enhancement, which had been requested by users for some time, marks an initial stride toward a more comprehensive solution in the future.
Fisher stated, “Over the years, we’ve received a lot of feedback that users want their channel bans to have a greater impact.”
As with any tool, there might be ways to circumvent this new feature. It operates by preventing logged-in blocked or banned users from accessing streams, stopping short of IP blocking at this time, and lacking a clear method to monitor logged-out users.
As of now, the feature does not extend to preventing unwanted viewers from watching VODs, highlights, or clips. However, Twitch has intentions to incorporate this capability in due course.
