Thousands of streamers are affected, yet few speak openly about it: hate raids and doxing are major issues on Twitch. The organization TeamKompass e.V. is working against this and has spoken with MeinMMO about the topic.
When the Twitch chat is suddenly spammed with countless hate messages, it is referred to as a so-called hate raid. Behind such attacks are often organized groups that specifically target streamers. Smaller content creators are often particularly affected by hate raids.
If the perpetrators manage to capture sensitive data of the victims, the harassment often continues:
- Doxing refers to the publication of personal data against the will of the victim. Since 2021, it has been a criminal offense punishable by up to 3 years in prison (via Federal Ministry of Justice).
- Swatting is often a consequence of doxing and can take various forms: from mass food orders in the name of the affected person to fake emergency calls to the fire department and police. Such police deployments can be traumatic and even end fatally.
Live streamers on platforms like Twitch are particularly often victims of such attacks, as the perpetrators can observe their “work” live in the stream.
The organization TeamKompass e.V. advocates for victims of hate raids, doxing, food raids, and swatting. We have already reported on MeinMMO about the work of the organization and the issue of food raids. As part of our campaign against hate, we spoke with TeamKompass.
The association provides education on the topic of hate raids, advises victims, and supplies resources to protect privacy and one’s live stream. Additionally, TeamKompass supports the police in their investigations against the perpetrators.
What is actually behind hate raids?
MeinMMO: What exactly is a hate raid?
TeamKompass: Before we go further into what a hate raid is and what characterizes it, we must first explain that hate raids on Twitch have two meanings: There are the normal bot attacks or follower bots which do not fundamentally harm anyone and can be cleaned up through various methods and tools.
It is also important to know: a hate raid is not a classic Twitch raid. We are talking about a different and much more dangerous form of hate raids: attacks by large groups that organize themselves on social media platforms like Telegram and Discord and specifically target small streamers in their chats.
In these attacks, the groups proceed as follows: They post far-right, sexist, and dehumanizing comments in the streamer’s chat. If the streamer reacts to follows and messages, meaning they get “triggered,” as we like to say, the group’s behavior worsens.
Ultimately, most streamers become overwhelmed by the situation and stop the stream. A renewed “visit” by these groups is then unfortunately very likely, as they have achieved success with their behavior.
Their main goal is always to find clear data such as name, address, and phone number. Once this data is captured, they ruthlessly invade the private lives of the victims: doxing, swatting, food raids via delivery services, and threats through all channels can become constant companions for weeks and months.
MeinMMO: Can a hate raid only happen in the context of live streaming?
TeamKompass: This question cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. The hate raids that we are dealing with are very specific and geared toward live streaming. Of course, such attacks also occur on other platforms. But even on these platforms, it is always in connection with a live stream, so the victim’s behavior can be observed.
Through our work, we know that attacks outside of live streaming platforms also occur against, for example, public and religious buildings, authors, politicians, popular content creators, and other public figures.
The percentage of these attacks is very low in comparison, even if these attacks generate much more attention than an attack on a small Twitch streamer. One must not forget in these discussions: Several thousand streamers have already been attacked by these groups.
MeinMMO: Can we say what the motivation behind a hate raid is? Is it politically motivated, for example?
TeamKompass: This is the question we are asked most frequently. It is important to understand that there is no general political motivation behind these actions. Each streamer is looked at for a trigger point. If the live streamer is a person of color, racist comments follow in the chat. With a bald head, Nazi slogans are posted; tagging one’s stream with LGBTQ+ draws their attention.
A popular method is to capitalize on current tense political situations in the media to spread even more hate. The situation around the Gaza Strip and Hamas has often been used to stir unrest or issue threats.
We have recorded conversations and other sources from which we know that at least one of the goals of these groups is to terrorize the victims for as long and persistently as possible until they ultimately give up and take their stream offline permanently. The resignation of the live streamers is a big success for them every time.
Victims should be “as boring as possible”
MeinMMO: What challenges do content creators most often face in connection with hate raids, and how does TeamKompass address this?
TeamKompass: The challenge for every content creator is definitely to handle the situation correctly. If you react to follows and hate messages, possibly getting upset or showing uncertainty, it only gets worse.
We always advise the victims in conversation to be as boring as possible in this situation. Just continue with their content and act as if nothing has happened, so the group ultimately moves on because they achieve no success. Of course, this is not easy, but unfortunately, it is the only option.
The next level is reached when it goes beyond the live chat. Doxing, fake food orders, and swattings are a whole different form of pressure. We have some helpful tips for these situations on our website to prepare well, provide cases to the law enforcement agencies with which we collaborate, and also refer victims to places that offer psychological support as appropriate to the situation. This kind of private terror is not something that can be easily endured by one’s character type and requires additional help.
First prevention, then damage control
MeinMMO: Can you tell us more about the prevention work that TeamKompass does, and which methods have proven particularly effective?
TeamKompass: Our prevention work is wide-ranging. We contact various authorities, associations, companies, etc., to raise awareness of the issue and to highlight any existing security risks in this context. In this way, we have managed to draw much more awareness to hate raids on Twitch, and thankfully receive a lot of support from all sides.
Of course, a large part of our work also involves advising and securing content creators and live streamers before a hate raid occurs. One of our goals is to ensure that when creating an account on Twitch, a guide and safety tips are displayed. To avoid doxing, content creators must be clearly warned not to disclose their personal data on the internet.
Many do not realize how transparent they are online and how many private data can be found within a very short time. We have already exchanged ideas with Twitch on this topic multiple times. It is a very large undertaking that will take a lot of time.
MeinMMO: What are the biggest problems you encounter in combating hate raids?
TeamKompass: A very large challenge is our awareness campaign. Currently, we still reach far too few content creators and live streamers preventively. Many of them only become aware of the issue or our organization after they have already been attacked. In these cases, we can only assist with damage control.
Another problem is that the (law enforcement) authorities often unfortunately have no idea about Twitch, streaming, and so on. For the victims, this is a huge problem. We have even heard of cases where no report was taken because the staff was unfamiliar with the topic. More educational work needs to be done here as well.
In recent months, we have already contacted many authorities and are continuously developing strategies to advance education through workshops, seminars, and training.
One of the biggest problems we deal with daily is food delivery services. We have attempted multiple times to establish contact with the company, reaching even the highest data protection authority in Berlin, without success. We know it is difficult to grab the attention of such a large corporation, but we will leave no stone unturned to get a grip on the issue of fake food orders.
MeinMMO: Can you share a success story in combating hate raids that you are especially proud of?
TeamKompass: Yes, there is one thing we are very proud of: the containment of swattings.
We cannot disclose details, but we can say that it has become significantly more difficult for the groups to conduct swattings on a large scale since September 2023. We cannot prevent spoofing, but fortunately, it is no longer as easy to place a fake emergency call using a tool as it was before. And this will remain the case in the future. Perhaps we will be able to talk in more detail about this at a later time.
These are TeamKompass’s approaches and tools
MeinMMO: How does the long-term support for victims look like, and what kind of assistance can they expect?
TeamKompass: After the interview with the victim, we decide how to proceed. This is very individual, depending on what has happened and what the victim has already done.
We encourage them to file a police report if they have not already done so, request screenshots, files, receipts, case numbers, etc. and archive everything.
We check in on streams to get an impression, help in individual cases for a certain period as a moderator, or better said “cleanup crew” to bring a little peace. We guide the moderators of the victims and train them. We schedule appointments with partner organizations, thus referring victims and also attend the appointments if desired.
We are always available and help with further questions or address problems that arise later on. We strive, with the help of REspect! or other reporting offices, to have deepfakes, hate postings, etc., removed from various platforms, or also forward hints to the “Initiative Tolerance in the Net”.
Every case is different, as are the support options. It is only important to know: We leave no stone unturned to help and do not leave anyone alone with their worries and problems.
MeinMMO: What specific tools and resources does TeamKompass offer to support Twitch streamers in protecting their channels?
TeamKompass: We offer many contributions on our website with important information and tips for protecting their Twitch channels as well as privacy. Once the channel is secured, you have already achieved a lot.
Additionally, there is, of course, the panic button that we specifically designed and tailored to hate raids, which can be triggered during a stream in the event of a hate raid and is a great help. With just one click, the chat is closed, follower alerts are turned off, an information is sent to the viewers, and if necessary, the camera is also turned off.
We provide three step-by-step guides to install this. If you have questions about the panic button, feel free to contact us or let us know about other apps for which we should prepare the button. Tools like the ban hammer, Sery_Bot, or the follower blocker from CommanderRoot are additionally recommended.
A new service is also our security check against doxing: we turn the Twitch channel inside out, conduct online research, and provide feedback with appropriate action points. This check should ideally be conducted before an attack occurs.
– Police advisory centers
– Reporting office for hate postings of the BKA
– Consultation and process cost assistance from HateAid
“They are not afraid to make bomb threats either”
MeinMMO: How has the phenomenon of hate raids changed since the founding of TeamKompass, and what trends are you observing?
TeamKompass: We have been involved in this topic since 2019 and have witnessed some changes since then. Whether new methods are being tested and implemented or constantly changing Discord servers and Telegram groups, there is always movement. They are very inventive and are not hesitant to make bomb threats or commit fraud.
MeinMMO: What new challenges do you see arising in the field of cybersecurity and protection against hate raids?
TeamKompass: The issue of combating hate online is currently receiving justified attention, and AIs are being developed that can filter and delete comments on platforms. We greatly welcome this development.
However, in phenomena like hate raids, these filters often do not work due to the variety of ways to distort words or the terminology used. Filtering anti-Semitic or far-right expressions is much simpler.
Therefore, a dedicated support area for victims of hate raids/hate speech on the platforms is necessary. And by dedicated support, we mean not automated responses from a bot, but real people who can provide active support.
Questions like: Where and how do I file a report, how do I submit legally sound evidence, what should I do, how can I protect myself and my family, can I still stream, etc., often come up in our conversations with victims. A bot cannot provide answers to these questions, as every case is always very individual, and every victim reacts differently. There are many more reasons to set up dedicated support areas for hate raids/hate speech, but detailing those would exceed the limits of this response.
YOU can help too
MeinMMO: How can the general public contribute to raising awareness of the issue of hate raids and combating them?
TeamKompass: Draw attention to hate raids and their effects! Interviews like this already contribute significantly to raising the topic’s visibility. Every live streaming platform should inform its streamers from the beginning that hate raids, doxing, fake food orders, and swatting can affect anyone and how to protect oneself from these issues.
Law enforcement agencies need to be educated, and large companies like delivery services must also contribute to the protection of content creators and live streamers. We can only combat this issue together and make a difference. Every tip, every report helps.
Many victims resign and see no point in filing a report, but let it be said: once the number of reports and evidence is large enough, things will change. Unfortunately, this is not a sprint, but a marathon, and we are aware of this.
MeinMMO: What role does the community play in supporting your work, and how can individuals get involved?
TeamKompass: The Twitch community is a very important factor! Only through you can we draw more attention to combating hate raids. The more of you share the posts, the website, the Discord server, and refer victims, the more it helps us.
And not just us, but every other content creator and live streamer out there who has not yet been attacked and has been able to secure themselves preventively. You all contribute to making live streaming safer!
However, we have one big request: please do not take independent action and try to track the group on your own. There are enough technical means to quickly find out who you are, and often you unfortunately find out much more.
If you want to help, contact us, and we can discuss what you can do to support us. There is, for example, the possibility to join our organization as an extraordinary member and support our work through a Twitch panel, a chat command, or a Discord channel with information about our work. Every helping hand is welcome.
Our colleagues from GameStar also spoke with TeamKompass. There you can learn more about the association and find resources to protect yourself from hate raids: Together against hate: TeamKompass supports you against hate raids on Twitch
