The CEO of Twitch, Emmett Shear, recently shared his thoughts on the current state of the new Safety Advisory Council. Since May 14, Twitch has received plenty of questions among viewers regarding the council. Just two days ago, council member FerociouslySteph openly said a few offensive statements regarding white supremacy and gamers, which caused an uproar in the Twitch community. Viewers then called for Twitch to take action against her. Amid the controversies, Shear released a statement vaguely relating back to these issues.
Last week at Twitch we announced our Safety Advisory Council. There have been questions and concerns, and I want to provide some clarity to help everyone understand our thinking about the council’s role and what we’re doing next. https://t.co/eiMreQkz3U
— Emmett Shear (@eshear) May 19, 2020
In his statement, Shear explained what the council is and what their duties are. The entire point of the council is to ensure a healthy community, offering perspective and keeping the community safe.
Twitch intended to hire people of many backgrounds to keep the diversity in thoughts and ideas flowing, so Shear said, “Because a position on the council is not a test of ideology or an endorsement by Twitch on a specific viewpoint, we expect that members of the council will sometimes have very different viewpoints from each other, from Twitch staff members, or from the official Twitch policy.”
Going against the rules
The message explains that Safety Advisory Council members cannot make moderation decisions, “nor will they have access to any details on specific moderation cases.” However, FerociouslySteph may have suggested otherwise in a viral Twitch clip, stating she has “power” and that “some people” should be afraid of her. Additionally, she expressed that Twitch should get rid of voice chat, which is something many viewers were not happy about.
Twitch really need to put a end to this! It really is going to cause something like a Gamer Gate. I really believe this! pic.twitter.com/Q9XvhU10Hl
— KEEM 🍿 (@KEEMSTAR) May 18, 2020
Unhappy viewers
In a way, Shear made it clear that Twitch does not endorse these actions. Although the message did not speak to her actions specifically, the underlying sentiment was picked up by most readers. Overall, many followers were not satisfied with the statement though and continued to share their thoughts with Shear.
Fair question.
I wonder if you'll get a response?
— Redlambs (@Redlambs2) May 19, 2020
If Twitch does NOT endorse them on a specific viewpoint, then why did you highlight each council member's viewpoint in their profile? Were there background checks on each member and if applicable streaming history? Were they interviewed? What actions will Twitch be taking? pic.twitter.com/ouqwsKliiA
— Tenmar (@Tenmar) May 19, 2020
There’s no indication whether Twitch will answer further questions from dissatisfied viewers. What are your thoughts on Twitch’s response to the controversial statements? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and stick with Daily Esports for more esports and gaming news.
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