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Rumored Twitch feature will give streamers more control over who speaks in chat

Streamers will be able to limit what users can chat based on their email and phone number verification status.

Donovan Erskine

September 27, 2021 10:30 AM

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Twitch has been under heavy fire for the better part of the last few months, as bot raids have become an increasing issue on the livestreaming platform. Creators and their moderators have had their work cut out for them when it comes to purging their channels of bots, who often flock to live chats and spew hateful language. After a strong outcry from Twitch users, it appears that the company is working on a feature that will be huge in stopping bot raids. The alleged new Twitch feature will allow streamers to restrict who is allowed to type in their chat, based on their email and phone number verification status.

Twitch has not officially announced the new feature, but it was discovered and reported on by Zach Bussey, who specializes in Twitch and the livestreaming world. In a recent tweet, Bussey shares a screenshot that goes over the features being introduced in an upcoming update. Streamers will be able to require users to have a verified email, phone number, or both in order to chat in their channel.

Twitch will soon be giving streamers better control over who can chat in their channels based on email and/or phone verification. Lots of customization and situational restrictions.

Exemptions can be provided for Subscribers, VIPs, and Mods. #TwitchNews pic.twitter.com/sHXmVJNRip

— Zach Bussey (@zachbussey) September 26, 2021

The options go a bit more in depth. Streamers will also be able to specify how these restrictions are enforced. They can be applied to first time chatters, accounts of a certain age, or those that have only been following for a certain amount of time. German creator DraconTV also reported on the upcoming feature, with screenshots that showcase what it will look like on Twitch’s settings page.

With so many of the bot/hate raids on Twitch being carried out by bots, forcing them to have a verified email address and/or phone number will be major in putting an end to this behavior. Earlier this month, we learned that Twitch was filing a lawsuit against two users accused of conducting hate raids.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a young journalist from Maryland, who likes to game. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge Scream nerd and film fanatic that will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_