Study
User-Centred DesignRecentStrong effect

Platform affordances enable coordinated hate raids, necessitating moderation-by-design.

The design of live streaming platforms, specifically their affordances, can inadvertently facilitate coordinated hate raids, highlighting the need for proactive moderation strategies embedded within the design process.

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction · 2023

01

Key Findings

  • 01Hate raids are human-bot coordinated attacks that exploit live streaming systems to target marginalized streamers.
  • 02Marginalized streamers experience significant harm with inadequate platform support.
  • 03Current moderation is primarily technical, yet streamers face challenges balancing moderation with participation due to their marginalized status.
02

Application

Design takeaway

When designing interactive systems, anticipate how features might be misused for harassment and build in protective mechanisms from the start.

How to apply

Before launching new features or platforms, conduct a 'misuse analysis' to identify potential avenues for harassment and design countermeasures.

Project actions

  • 01When researching user needs, also consider potential negative uses of your design.
  • 02Think about how your design could be used to exclude or harm certain groups.
03

Method & Evidence

AimHow do the affordances of live streaming platforms contribute to coordinated hate raids, and how can moderation-by-design principles mitigate these issues?
MethodQualitative analysis
ProcedureThe study analyzed discussions about hate raids on the r/Twitch subreddit to understand the phenomenon and its impact on streamers.
ContextLive streaming communities, online harassment, content moderation

Variables

IVPlatform affordances (features, design elements)
DVIncidence and impact of hate raids, streamer experience
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Focuses on a novel and under-researched form of online harassment.
  • +Provides a theoretical lens (affordances) to explain the phenomenon.
  • +Offers practical design recommendations (moderation-by-design).

Limitations

It can be difficult to predict all possible ways a design might be misused, and some harmful behaviours may only emerge after a product is widely adopted.

Reliability & validity

The qualitative nature of the study relies on interpretation of user discussions, which can be subjective. Validity is strengthened by focusing on a specific, observable phenomenon (hate raids) and using established theoretical concepts (affordances).

Think critically

To what extent can designers be held responsible for the misuse of their creations, and where does user responsibility begin?

05

Design Principles

"Design for safety by considering potential misuse and integrating proactive moderation."

Understanding how system features can be exploited for harassment is crucial for creating safer online environments. Designers must consider the potential for misuse of platform affordances and integrate moderation considerations from the outset of product development.

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What This Means for Your Design

The way a website or app is built can accidentally help people be mean to others, so designers need to think about safety when they create new features.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Use this research to justify the inclusion of specific safety features or moderation strategies in your design proposal.
  • 2.Reference this study when discussing the ethical considerations of your design project.
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Add to My Project

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Quick Cite

(2023). Hate Raids on Twitch: Understanding Real-Time Human-Bot Coordinated Attacks in Live Streaming Communities. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction. https://doi.org/10.1145/3610191 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/e8d5556e-2cd9-4d46-90c7-935d2642e219/platform-affordances-enable-coordinated-hate-raids-necessitating-moderation-by-design

Paragraph starter

This research highlights the critical role of platform affordances in enabling coordinated online harassment, such as hate raids on live streaming platforms. The study found that system designs can inadvertently facilitate attacks, particularly against marginalized users, underscoring the necessity of a 'moderation-by-design' approach. This principle suggests that safety and moderation should be integral to the design process from its inception, rather than being an add-on, to proactively mitigate potential abuse and ensure a more inclusive user experience.

09

Source

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction

Hate Raids on Twitch: Understanding Real-Time Human-Bot Coordinated Attacks in Live Streaming Communities

journal · 2023

View source

Questions about this research

What does the research say about platform affordances enable coordinated hate raids, necessitating moderation-by-design?
When designing interactive systems, anticipate how features might be misused for harassment and build in protective mechanisms from the start. Evidence: Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (2023).
Why does "Platform affordances enable coordinated hate raids, necessitating moderation-by-design." matter for design?
Understanding how system features can be exploited for harassment is crucial for creating safer online environments. Designers must consider the potential for misuse of platform affordances and integrate moderation considerations from the outset of product development.
How can designers apply this research?
When designing interactive systems, anticipate how features might be misused for harassment and build in protective mechanisms from the start.
What were the main findings?
Hate raids are human-bot coordinated attacks that exploit live streaming systems to target marginalized streamers.. Marginalized streamers experience significant harm with inadequate platform support.. Current moderation is primarily technical, yet streamers face challenges balancing moderation with participation due to their marginalized status.
What research method was used?
Qualitative analysis.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2023 journal from Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction.
What should I do differently in my next project?
Before launching new features or platforms, conduct a 'misuse analysis' to identify potential avenues for harassment and design countermeasures.
What are the limitations?
The study is based on discussions within a specific online community (r/Twitch) and may not represent all live streaming platforms or user experiences.
Is there evidence that hate raids affects design outcomes?
Live streaming platforms' design features can be exploited for coordinated attacks like hate raids, disproportionately harming marginalized streamers who lack sufficient platform support and struggle with existing moderation tools. Understanding how system features can be exploited for harassment is crucial for creatin Source: Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (2023).
Where does this platform affordances research apply?
Live streaming communities, online harassment, content moderation It sits within user-centred design research on designdex.org.

Related research topics

hate raids design research · evidence on hate raids · does hate raids improve design outcomes · platform affordances studies for designers · hate raids and platform affordances findings · user-centred design research evidence