Twitch has come under scrutiny for how it helps streamers who are the target of extreme hate campaigns. Last year, the live streaming service began suing users who carry out “hate attacks” that rely on bots to spew out an ongoing barrage of hate speech. These raids, says Twitch’s lawsuit, “target black and LGBTQIA+ streamers with racist, homophobic, sexist and other harassing content.” Now vulnerable users are hoping that Twitch will use its power to stop some of the deadliest attacks hitting marginalized users on the platform: swatting that has reportedly increased since 2015 and now happens multiple times a week.
These swatting attacks are carried out by anonymous individuals who make prank calls to the police, falsely report emergencies (such as an armed potential mass shooter or hostage situation that does not exist) in order to bring down SWAT teams, with weapons on them, at a Twitch location. from the streamer. The Washington Post reported this week that these swattings appear to be intensifying and could be traumatizing for targeted Twitch streamers. A trans Twitch streamer told the Post that: London police pointed an assault rifle at her face.
Official attempts to prevent swatting
In 2017, a person who was an accidental target died after a swat sent officers to the wrong address. The Twitch user who set up that swatting, Casey Viner, was sentenced to 15 months in prison, while the man Viner hired to post the prank, Tyler Barriss, was sentenced to 20 years.
Since then, local and state governments have taken some steps to prevent swattings. Seattle has established a police anti-swatting service to help Twitch users alert the police to potential false reports. Those efforts led Washington state to pass an anti-swatting law in 2020, and other states have followed suit. Kentucky passed a law earlier this year making it a Class D felony to file false reports that pose “life or property danger” if they prompt police to respond. That means pranksters can be severely punished for initiating a police response or directing officers to spread false accusations that are likely to set off a public alarm.
“Imagine your local police tactical response team surrounding your house in preparation for breaking into the door in what they believe to be a rescue or hostage situation, only to find out that this was someone’s idea of a joke? ” Phillip Pratt (R-Ky.), who sponsored the Kentucky anti-swatting bill, told me. “That is exactly what has happened in my community in March 2021 and in other cities across the country in recent years. Not only is this a dangerous abuse of our first responders, but it has also resulted in the deaths of innocent people.”
Maximum penalties for pranksters under anti-swatting laws are not as extreme as Barriss’ punishment. Under Kentucky law, victims are eligible for damages, including emotional distress, and anyone convicted faces up to five years in prison. US Senator Charles Schumer (DN.Y.) previously tried to pass a federal law to increase that maximum sentence to eight years, but it stalled. Another attempt to pass an anti-swatting bill was introduced in Congress in 2019, but so far it has gone nowhere.
Without federal guidance, the charges could deter states from pursuing these types of cases. Tracking down offenders who make false returns can be too costly. Law enforcement officers who arrested Barriss estimate it cost $100,000 to identify “just one hoax caller.” It’s difficult because, the Post notes, “harassers can use software to spoof phone numbers and IP addresses,” and this can effectively mask their identities.
States may realize, however, that more resources need to be mobilized, especially since the practice tends to target more users. The Post reported four attacks this week alone — which is a lot considering Kentucky’s law was passed after an estimated ten attacks had occurred within a year. Schumer’s account was based on 21 attacks in a single New York county in 2014. While swattings aren’t solely a Twitch problem — users on Twitter and other online platforms are also vulnerable — Twitch is one of the most visible, mainly because some SWAT raids are streamed live to a wide audience.
