Twitch said Thursday that it has fixed a problem with its hate speech filter in hopes of curbing floods of abuse and racism known as "hate-raids" on the platform. Twitch streamers have been pleading with the company to address the issue for months.
The hashtag #TwitchDoBetter has continued to trend on Twitter and elsewhere since February. The campaign is mostly led by streamers who have experienced floods of coordinated attacks because of their gender, racial or ethnic identity, or sexual orientation. They have been asking the company to make it harder for people to create new accounts when they've been blocked and add more robust safety tools for streamers. Some Twitch streamers are now warning others that using the #TwitchDoBetter actually makes them more vulnerable to attacks.
In its announcement Thursday, Twitch also promised to release tools that can detect people who are trying to evade channel bans later this year. "Our work is never done, and your input is essential as we try to build a safer Twitch. We'll be reaching out to community members to learn more about their experiences," the company wrote in its statement.