Twitch wants you to know it cares. No, really, it does. Why else would it announce a Safety Advisory Council whose sole purpose is to make the streaming platform a safer place for everyone? They care for you. Can’t you feel that warm, digital hug? Oh yes.
The duties of this new council will focus primarily on advising Twitch on things like “drafting new policies and policy updates, developing products and features to improve safety and moderation, promoting healthy streaming and work-life balance habits, protecting the interests of marginalized groups,” and “identifying emerging trends that could impact the Twitch experience.”
The council is composed of a group of “online safety experts” who have been “carefully selected based on their familiarity with the Twitch community and their relevant personal and professional experiences.” This includes various professors, directors of research centers focused on cyberbullying, “radicalizing” content, and inclusion, and several positive-leaning streamers such as CohhCarnage, Cupahnoodle, and FerociouslySteph.
“The creation of the Safety Advisory Council is just one way we are enhancing our approach to issues of trust and safety,” promises the announcement. “We will continue to invest in tools, products, and policies that promote the safety and well-being of everyone on Twitch.”
There do appear to be a few holes in Twitch’s logic here: One of the members is the director of the Center For Democracy and Technology, which is funded by the Koch family, Facebook, and Twitch owner Amazon, along with a variety of corporate backers. Meanwhile, streamer member CohhCarnage spent 2,000 consecutive days streaming for a portion of each day at one point, though the experience definitely changed his outlook on being a full-time streamer.
