"Should We Unban, Chat?": Communal Content Moderation on Twitch

Employing digital ethnographic and interview methods alongside thematic analysis, I examined communal content moderation practices on Twitch in “unban appeal streams.” Streamers use humor and unban appeal streams as opportunities to make entertaining content, but some streamers use these streams to educate and reform offenders. A feedback loop between Twitch and its most popular streamers exists, allowing Twitch and its users to hold each other accountable. However, platforms like Twitch have centralized actors that hold more power than their users, making conversation between the two difficult. With desires for a more communal, user-driven platform, I offer suggestions for improving protections for marginalized users experiencing online harassment and abuse, as well as suggestions for implementing justice theories into content moderation systems.