Twitch is the ‘safest’ platform for streamers, Exec says, as rival Kickstarter has acquired Steam.

Mary Kish, Twitch's director of community marketing and product, said in an interview at TwitchCon Las Vegas. Decrypt The biggest difference between the streaming platform and its rising rival Kick is, quite simply, that Twitch is more secure than its stake-funded rival.

This year, they signed streamers like former Overwatch esports player Felix “xQc” Lenggel and FaZe Clan co-owner Nicolas “Nick Merk” Kolchef. 100 million dollars And 10 million dollars Deals, respectively, to release on Kick.

But at TwitchCon in October, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy It announced that streamers can now stream to any platform without losing their “affiliate” or “partner” status on Twitch. This led to speculation that it might be Tyler “Ninja” Blevins'. Clear position Supports streaming”.everywhere” may have finally prompted Twitch to make a long-awaited change to its restricted streaming policies.

“A lot of these changes don't come from one person,” Kish said. Decrypt When asked if Blevins inspired the change. “They don't come from a speech.”

Instead, Kish credits Clancy with a new, more open policy.

“He did a lot of research,” Kish said of Clancy. “There are also a lot of people behind the scenes, including the community team, who regularly talk to broadcasters and give feedback to the executive team that makes decisions of that magnitude.” It was no small decision.

Twitch's simulcasting changes didn't come quickly, and it was something that took a lot of internal meetings and discussions, she said.

“We don't want to limit streams,” Kish added of Twitch's reason for the change.

So why launch on an Amazon-owned platform when its competitor Kik promises a much higher revenue share for creators than its predecessor?

“There's no doubt that Twitch puts a lot of power into our security features,” Kish said Decrypt. “In my opinion, we are the most reliable live streaming service you can have.”

Kish mentioned Twitch's many features for streamers Mod view And Shield modeAs with some of the site's offerings, creators can use it to secure their broadcasts and censor harmful content in their chat boxes by trolls or hateful users – which, unfortunately, A common place online.

“We have taken legal action against people who have violated our terms of service,” Kish said. “We take security seriously on Twitch.”

A representative for Kik has yet to respond. DecryptA request for feedback on Kick's security features and how they compare to Twitch.

But Twitch's unique subcultures, idioms, and memes are also a big part of what's kept the platform's users glued together for more than a decade since its inception in 2011, like Justin.TV. Twitch is now average 35 million visitors per day and was viewed more than 1.3 trillion minutes last year, according to the platform.

Competitors with good financial support Microsoft mixer and Facebook game They tried and failed to compete with the Purple Stage's perception of live audiences and viewers.

“I honestly believe the community sticks to Twitch because it's safe,” Kish said. “It's great fun for all kinds of streamers. We welcome all different people – come as you are.

Since the “hate invasion” attacks that have spread like a virus on Twitch for years, the site has developed new features to help prevent and combat streamers.Targeted attacksHe said. Twitch also has extensive policies on it Hate behaviorAllow users to be penalized for any behavior motivated by “hatred, bigotry or intolerance.”

Although Twitch doesn't have the best track record. Clearly implement the policiesAt least it has laws that allow it to crack down on bad actors if necessary.

Like hate raids and impersonations, Twitch has reacted similarly (as opposed to cautiously) to the rise of gambling streams after popular streamers like Iman “Pokemone” Anis last year. He blamed the increase in gambling sponsorship On Twitch. Twitch policy now states that Stake, Rollbit, and other gambling sites are prohibited and cannot be streamed. The only types of casino games still allowed on Twitch are sports betting, fantasy sports and gambling on Twitch's. website.

Twitch seems to be moving forward with a security-first approach—and allowing streamers to browse other platforms won't hurt the platform in the long run.

“We want them to explore and experience live streaming the way they want to,” Kish said. “It's a good direction for everyone. And we take that w.

Edited by Andrew Hayward.