Twitch is introducing a feature that will enable streamers to prevent banned users from viewing their streams.

Twitch’s chat ban mechanisms have been in existence for a considerable period, but the platform is now poised to empower streamers with a means to regulate the initial audience for their streams.

In the latest installment of Twitch’s monthly product update show, “Patch Notes,” the company revealed its upcoming capability that allows streamers to prevent banned users from accessing streams. This feature, when activated by moderators or streamers, will not only remove banned users from the chat but will also immediately expel them from the live stream itself.

Scheduled to be introduced in the coming weeks, this new anti-harassment tool will seamlessly integrate into Twitch’s existing blocking toolkit, automatically preventing blocked users from viewing streams.

By default, the feature will not be active for handling banned users. Nevertheless, streamers will have the ability to enable this option through the moderation settings. During the Patch Notes stream, Twitch’s Senior Product Manager, Trevor Fisher, clarified that this much-requested safety enhancement represents an initial step towards a potentially more comprehensive solution in the future.

Fisher stated, “Over the years, we’ve received substantial feedback that individuals desire more effectiveness from their channel bans.”

It is important to acknowledge that the forthcoming option will have certain loopholes. Specifically, it will only hinder logged-in users who have been blocked or banned from watching a stream. Twitch’s current approach does not encompass IP blocking and lacks an evident method for monitoring users who are logged out.

Furthermore, this feature will not presently prevent undesired viewers from accessing VODs, highlights, and clips. However, Twitch intends to incorporate this capability in due course.