In early April,Twitchjoined several other companies in announcing the layoff of hundreds of employees.Twitch reportedly laid off 400 employeesto reduce the platform’s workforce in the midst of several controversies. Former employees are now expressing concerns about Twitch’s ability to moderate abusive or illegal activity on the site in the wake of these job losses.Twitchhas faced difficulties with moderation and responsible AI teams since its inception and the latest layoffs have only exacerbated these concerns. According to recent reports from Bloomberg, the integrity and “safety” of Twitch’s viewers could be at risk due to the reduction in moderation and employees. Twitch currently streams 2.5 million hours of live user-generated content every day, and employees aren’t enough to moderate these videos as they go live.RELATED:Twitch CEO Announces Plan to Reduce Controversial Pre-Roll AdsOne source claimed that the company lost a great deal of institutional expertise in certain teams due to the layoffs. Another employee claimed that those in charge of handling appeals from Twitch streamers suspended or banned were particularly hit hard by the cuts and some of these works are now contracted out, raising oversight and accountability concerns. These issues can be seen in therecent ban of a Twitch streamer due to a usernameand the banning of another streamer due to wearing a bunny outfit.
According to Bloomberg, Twitch has also struggled to safeguard children and stop grooming on the network. With the reduction in moderation and responsible AI teams, many fear that user safety could be compromised. The issue of AI has become increasingly important in the tech sector, and reducing the size of responsible AI teams could have serious implications for Twitch.
Though Twitch has introducedseveral policies like banning gambling, many people have taken to social media to express their disappointment and worries about these allegations and the younger demographic that interacts with the platform. Twitch’s response to these concerns remains to be seen. However, the layoffs have raised serious questions about the company’s commitment to user safety and its ability to effectively moderate content on the site. As streaming services like Kick are gaining popularity, many feel Twitch will need to address these concerns in order to maintain its reputation and ensure safety.
