Kick staff have fired back at the notion the platform is going “woke” after implementing new moderation features to block certain lines of conversation in chat.
Since the streaming platform opened its doors in 2023, Kick has garnered a reputation for its edgier content. Be it Vitaly catching alleged child predators, N3on getting into all sorts of drama, and Adin Ross calling it home after being permanently banned on Twitch, Kick is often in headlines for its controversies.
Looking to make the platform a bit friendlier, Kick introduced new AI-powered moderation tools in an August 10, 2024 update. This feature uses machine learning “to detect potentially harmful or unwanted messages based upon your community preferences.”
Eight options are available for streamers to customize, enabling varying levels of filtering. For instance, if a content creator wants to avoid all mention of drug-related conversation, the AI filter (on paper) will detect and instantly delete any chatter of this kind.
AI Moderation now available pic.twitter.com/ICFHZApgeG
— Kick.com (@KickStreaming) August 10, 2024
As Kick co-founder Ed Craven emphasized, this feature is entirely “optional” for streamers on the platform. It’s not being forced on anyone and should users wish to continue exactly as before, they just have to ignore the new tool in the platform’s settings.
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Kick employee Andrew Santamaria addressed this claim head-on during his own stream, questioning how anyone could come to the conclusion the platform is “going woke.”
“Here’s the deal, if you like to have weapons in your chat, you just put no filtering. If you want to talk about shotguns and whatever else, just click it away.
“You can have all this stuff in your stream still, within reason. If you want to be what you consider ‘woke,’ put the filters on. If you want to be degen, don’t put the filters on.”
Again reminding viewers the new settings are completely optional, Santamaria reaffirmed Craven’s messaging. For streamers not wanting anything to change in their own personal chat, they’re able to ignore the settings altogether. The moderation tools will not interfere with their content in any way.
