Can You Get Doxxed On Twitch?

Twitch is one of the fastest-growing platforms, where millions of gamers come together to have interactive live streaming sessions.

The global platform was launched almost ten years ago with the aim to connect gamers from all around the world and offer a safe gaming experience. According to Backlinko, Twitch has almost 140 million monthly active users, and more than half of them have complained about Doxxing.

Although being a streamer on Twitch comes with many benefits, let's not ignore the darker side too. As a go-to place for millions of gamers worldwide, it's common to get doxxed on Twitch because of the hackers hiding behind the screen.

Not only can they steal your data and share it online, which may disturb your privacy, but they can also put your Twitch account at risk.

What Is Twitch?

Twitch is an American video live streaming service that offers a user-friendly platform for gamers to experience seamless video game live streaming. Moreover, it also broadcasts sports competitions, music broadcasts, and real life streams.

What Is Doxxing?

If you're not familiar with the term "Doxxing" keep reading the article. Doxxing is a form of online harassment in which a person reveals the personal identity of someone else online without the owner's consent. It can be anything from your home address, workplace, pictures, IP address, phone number, or other personal details.

How Is Doxxing Performed On Twitch?

Doxxers are some of the smartest people on the internet, especially when it comes to Doxxing. They can follow a single clue and follow it till the end in order to reveal the identity of the owner.

Although every Doxxer uses a different approach from another, here are some things you could do that will help them dox you.

1. Through posts

The chances of you accidentally revealing information about yourself increase when you write on forums and message boards.

Similarly, if your Twitch viewers know your personal social media accounts and the doxxer is one of your Twitch viewers, there's more than a good chance that they'll identify you there easily.

2. Oversharing on other platforms

Always set a boundary between you and your viewers. In case you accidentally share anything personal, delete it instantly and refresh the page to check if it's removed or not. If not, the Doxxer will save the clip and use it for malicious purposes. Once it is saved by the doxxer, you can do nothing to delete it.

Examples of Doxxing on Twitch

Whether you've been doxxed on Twitch before or not, these examples will help you relate to your experience and take precautions.

Twitch User Got Doxxed During Live Streaming

A renowned Twitch streamer on Reddit shared his experience of getting doxxed. He explained that he got doxxed on Twitch during a live stream. After 10 minutes into the streaming, he got in the way of the hacker who started making racist comments on his live streaming.

The streamer ignored it and paid no attention to it. After some time, he noticed that someone had revealed his home address and his Discord chat with all the streamers. He immediately deleted them, hid the messages, and restricted his live streaming for a month.

The streamer also notified his local law enforcement about the situation and reported a cybercrime complaint. Soon after, he requested all the sites to remove the disclosed data about him, which luckily they did.

2nd Example:

Another Doxxing incident happened when a new streamer experienced sudden disruption in his live stream. He noticed that these suspicious hackers had made several fake accounts with the streamer's name and address. However, this also resulted in abusive criticism as the hackers started accusing the streamer.

How To Avoid Doxxing?

1. Use a good VPN

VPN, also known as a virtual private network, can help you avoid getting doxxed on Twitch. VPN hides your IP address so no doxxer can reach out to your personal identity or location.

2. Use two-factor authentication

Twitch helps secure its users' privacy by offering two-factor authentication. As the name says, it requests two ways of verification when someone else tries to log in to your account from a new device.

One verification is your password, and the other is a code sent by Twitch to your phone number.

3. Don't open every link you receive

One of the oldest methods of hackers to access your data is by using malicious software. To avoid this, a good rule of thumb is to avoid clicking on any suspicious links you receive.

Now the question arises, "how do I know if it is a malicious link?" Identifying a suspicious link won't take you long if you click on the "inspect" to see the status of the link.

If you see something fishy in the link, don't even open it because it can hack your account.

4. Keep everything private

The best way to not get doxxed is to keep your personal life extremely private from your streaming life. Try to keep your social media accounts confidential and avoid posting pictures.

Using encrypted passwords is another useful way to keep things private. You should also have separate passwords for every account. This way, even if one account is hacked, the other would be safe.

What To Do After Being Doxxed On Twitch?

After being doxxed on Twitch, the first thing you must do is report it to Twitch support and share the screenshots. It might sound strange to you but whenever you experience Doxxing, a smart action is to continue your streaming and completely ignore the chat, act like you don't even care. Many people do that which results in their favor.

By ignoring them, doxxers will get bored of continuously Doxxing you by revealing your personal information. If you do not respond to them, they will eventually stop doxxing you and find a new target.

What Username Should We Use for a Playing account?

It would be best for you to use a short and straight name when creating your player's account. You can follow these steps to choose a username for your game account:

1. Keep it short

When making a playing account, try to pick a name that is short and straight to the point. As a best practice, choose a name that sits well with the content you’ll be offering.

2. Use a common phrase or funny pun.

If you think there is a secret code between you and your audience, then go for it. Use it as your username, or think of a funny one.

3. Make it easy to memorize

Please go through the list of the most followed streamers and notice a common thing among them. You will see that they all possess super easy names, which are easy to read and remember. So, try to keep a name that is not complicated. These types of names also attract the audience.

4. Make it a bit personal.

Adding a personal touch to your username for a gaming account would sound good and give a hint to your viewers. Think of the last funny name someone called you with, a nickname, or a random pseudonym that you can easily remember.

How Is It Often Related To The Doxxing Of Streamers On Other Platforms Like YouTube And Twitter?

Doxxing, regardless of the form, is the same on all platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and Twitter. Doxxers reveal your identity in front of everyone, which puts a risk to your privacy. If you ever get doxxed on any social media channels, don't think twice before reporting to their respective customer support team.

Conclusion

Doxxing can be dangerous if you fail to take action on time. Getting doxxed on Twitch is a common thing, and a lot of famous streamers go through this on a daily basis. Avoid oversharing over any platform as it invites Doxxers and makes it easy for them to know your name, address, and other personal information.

Following these ways, including using a good VPN, two-factor authentication, and being a little cautious, can save you from Doxxers. Now that you know all the possibilities of getting doxxed on Twitch, we’ve another useful article that tells 7 quick solutions to avoid getting doxxed on Twitch. Read that article and continue your live streaming on Twitch with full confidence.