Recently, Twitch introduced Drop Ins, a new feature designed to improve streamer collaboration that allows a streamer to “knock” on another streamer’s channel to seek a live cooperation.
However, the VTuber community had serious concerns about the way DropIns were initially set up. Many VTubers who don’t usually reveal their real identities found that when they accepted a DropIn request, their webcams were automatically turned on, which might have exposed their faces to viewers.
Twitch responds to VTuber concerns
VTubers and other anonymous streamers swiftly criticized the unintentional webcam activation. Himura Senri and Vee, two VTubers, questioned how such a crucial error could happen on a website that accommodates thousands of virtual creators. After receiving criticism, Twitch changed the DropIns feature such that, even if webcams were previously enabled, they now stay off when a collaboration starts.
Twitch issued an apology on August 28 via a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Based on community feedback, Drop Ins now start with your camera disabled even if your camera was previously set up. We apologize to any users, particularly VTubers, who may have had their camera enabled by accident due to previous functionality.”
Mixed reactions to Twitch’s apology
Even if Twitch responded quickly, a lot of streamers aren’t satisfied with the way the feature was implemented. Some, worried that the tool would be exploited or cause more privacy problems, demand that there be an option to opt out of Drop Ins completely.
“Do you guys not have a VTuber testing these things?” one user asked, highlighting the community’s frustration. Another user added, “This doesn’t just affect VTubers; it affects EVERYBODY. Not everyone wants this to happen to them.”
Since Twitch hasn’t announced any intentions to implement an opt-out feature for Drop Ins, several users are worried that accidents might occur in the future. The event is another in a long line of grievances that Twitch users have voiced, along with a recent hike in mobile subscription costs.
