Amazon’s online content streaming platform has clarified the meaning of the term in several places, and the AutoMod moderation tools have also received an update.

In a blog post, Twitch announced that its sexual harassment policy remains partially unchanged, but here and there, it elaborated on what behavior is considered unacceptable on the platform: “We prohibit unwanted comments – including comments made using emojis/emotes – about someone’s appearance or body, sexual requests or advances, sexual objectification, and negative statements or attacks related to someone’s perceived sexual behavior or activities, regardless of gender. We also do not tolerate the recording or sharing of non-consensual intimate images or videos under any circumstances and may report such content to law enforcement.

Anyone who believes they have received comments of a consensual nature can report them, but no expression of sexual violence is ever allowed on the platform. AutoMod has also received an update to better combat sexual harassment: “We have developed a new AutoMod category that will allow you to filter out chat messages that could be considered sexual harassment. This new category will provide an extra layer of protection and can help block these messages in the moment, before they appear in chat”.

Streamers can set how strict AutoMod should be, so it can withhold fewer or more comments between messages, and of course they will also have the option to allow or not allow withheld messages. The new tools are currently only available in English, so those who stream in other languages will have to wait a little longer for Twitch.

In any case, the bottom line is that sexual harassment in any form is never acceptable. If Amazon can take effective action against it, it could make Twitch a better, more watchable, more usable platform.

Source: PCGamer, Twitch