It’s 2 A.M. Do You Know What’s Streaming On Your Platform?

ModSquad’s SVP, Global Operations Rich Weil has seen many developments in the video game industry in his time at ModSquad and in gaming. Near the forefront of the field’s many technological breakthroughs is live streaming. The explosion of real-time content has, in recent years, necessitated the rise of trust and safety specialists, people charged with monitoring content that’s created in a relentless, fast-and-furious manner.

“Live streaming was the wild west for a long time,” says Rich. “It used to be fairly contained. It first started blowing up with video games and streaming services focused on that niche market. As the technology has grown, it has expanded to other lifestyle sectors and across many more platforms. Now it’s like television—you’ll see live streams of everything from political rallies to the opening of a store. Unfortunately, we’ve also seen live streams of crimes.”

In March 2019, a gunman in New Zealand live streamed a 17-minute attack that took the lives of 50 people. Within a matter of weeks, Australia passed a law that would effectively punish social media companies for any lack of responsiveness to posts with violent content. “Not only are they going to fine the companies, but they’ll also hold executives responsible,” notes Rich. “So people are understandably taking the trust and safety side of live streaming a lot more seriously.”

Platforms streaming video games are no exception, yet monitoring all of those streams 24/7/365 is a Herculean task. The industry’s biggest players are stepping up by either providing in-house moderation, relying on an outsourcing provider to moderate streaming content, or a combination of the two. “Companies need to know what’s happening on their platforms,” says Rich. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be kid-safe, but it has to be appropriate.”

In addition to comprehensive moderation of streaming media, many major brands are making sure content outside their official channels is monitored, often by third-party providers. Rich explains, “With all of these opportunities for people to stream, you need to know who’s talking about your product and what’s going on. If, for example, you’re a video game distributor and you’ve used a known streamer in an official capacity, you want to know about it if they go off script.”

As streaming platforms ramp up their efforts to keep users and the community at large safe, there’s still a lack of uniformity to their processes. That’s why many video game publishers look to experts like Rich and other industry experts at ModSquad to learn how best to protect their players, their games, and their companies. With insight and guidance from our experienced community managers and moderators, gaming companies will be well-prepared for any scenario, fortified to mitigate risks, and ready to bring the best that live streaming has to offer to players worldwide.