An upcoming update on Twitch will give creators a tool to further penalize users who have been banned from their channels.
In the coming weeks, Twitch will offer all creators the ability to use an optional tool that prevents banned users from watching a live stream. According to Twitch, this new feature will be available to all streamers throughout September. News about this feature has garnered a lot of attention on social media, with many Twitch streamers calling it a long-needed addition to the service.
Twitch is coming with new updates
At TwitchCon Paris, Twitch also introduced a Snapchat-inspired feature that allows creators to post stories that are only viewable for 24 hours on desktop and mobile. Twitch stories have been made available for users to post Clips, Highlights or announcements to find out when their favorite creators go live.
Also, Twitch continues to continuously improve its existing features in the background. While bans have traditionally been a way to deal with rude behavior, it hasn’t stopped banned users from watching some broadcasts live. But soon that will change.
You will no longer be able to watch the channel you were banned from
Starting in September, all Twitch channels will be able to enable an optional feature that prevents them from watching a live stream of a channel they’ve been banned for any reason. According to Twitch Partner Lowco, the new feature will work instantly, and if a user is banned during a livestream, the Twitch channel will be immediately blocked from watching, whether they’re streaming any game or content. However, banned users will be able to continue watching Clips and VOD content of past broadcasts for now.
Trevor Fisher noted in the August 16 Twitch Patch Notes that IP bans may not be fully enforceable due to implementation complexity. Fisher said Twitch will consider user feedback and look for ways to expand how they can deal with banned users. The change has had a generally positive response on social media, and the new option has received much more praise than the recently launched Twitch Partner Plus program.