Dear Emmett Shear & the Senior Leadership Team at Twitch:

We, the undersigned, represent Black Twitch streamers, technologists, and racial justice organizations that are leading the #TwitchDoBetter movement and working diligently to ensure a more humane and less hostile internet for Black people.

On February 1, Twitch announced a series of initiatives aimed at “celebrat[ing] Black creators all month long.” These include a Black Brilliance Recommended Section on the Front Page to shine a spotlight on the “future of entertainment,” and an Unapologetically Black and Fast speed running marathon to “celebrat[e] Black joy.” However, at a time when Black streamers continue to be harassed by racist users and left unprotected from online hate, these short-term, performative Black History Month initiatives are sorely inadequate. Twitch must address its complicity in anti-Black racism on the platform. And that starts with working directly with impacted Black creators to determine which policy and procedural changes are needed to improve their safety, as well as being transparent about when these changes will be implemented.

In August 2021, @RekItRaven launched the viral #TwitchDoBetter hashtag to draw attention to the unprecedented number of hate raids targeting Black and LGBTQ+ streamers. In response, marginalized creators recounted eerily similar stories on social media about being hate-raided while on the Front Page, called racial slurs in the live stream chats, and even doxxed by racist users who had obtained their residential addresses. Some of these stories date back to 2018, but many of them occurred during Summer 2021. Many Black streamers have since experienced adverse mental health effects and were even afraid to turn on their computers. In the immediate aftermath, Twitch responded with a nebulous statement:

“We’ve seen a lot of conversation about botting, hate raids, and other forms of harassment targeting marginalized creators. You’re asking us to do better and we know we need to do more to address these issues. That includes an open and ongoing dialogue about creator safety.” –@Twitch (from Twitter)  

Only after @KandidlyKayla’s #TwitchDoBetter petition amassed almost 20,000 signatures, @RekItRaven’s #ADayOffTwitch boycott was featured in major media publications (e.g. USA Today), and Color Of Change held meetings with Twitch’s leadership team did the platform update its safety protocols. On September 29, 2021, Twitch finally unveiled phone-verified chat, but left other creator demands unmet, including:

- Easily accessible and well-communicated incident feedback loops between Twitch and creators about the status, review process, and resolution of harassment complaints. Communication should begin at the initial submission of a complaint through the review process and include an accounting of steps Twitch has taken to resolve the issue. Twitch should allow for PDF and printable complaint histories with timestamps, review status, and steps for resolutions.

- Improved algorithmic and human content moderation practices, especially for Black creators who are featured on the Front Page.

- Organizational roles and policies that aid and advocate for Twitch users suffering from racial harassment.

- Commitment to conduct a racial equity audit that would allow Twitch to identify areas of growth and eliminate any manifestation of bias, discrimination, or hate across its products and as an employer.

While Twitch claims to be “listening to creators and building solutions to help stop unwanted harassment,” it still has not offered a timeline for when these demands will be met, if at all. Twitch has shown repeatedly that it is not willing to be transparent and cares more deeply about its public image than the safety of Black streamers. And, Black History Month 2022 is no different.

The celebration of Black brilliance and Black joy should not be limited to February. Twitch should explore ways to boost the discoverability of Black streamers every day, provide support to Black creators featured on the Front Page every time, and ensure that Black creators feel safe doing what we love: streaming with the community we’ve poured into over the last few years. We are demanding that you make your commitment to Black streamers transparent and tangible, now. #TwitchDoBetter

Sincerely,


Black Twitch Creators, Color of Change and the Undersigned Supporters