Popular streamer Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel believes that enforcing the new rules against viewbotting will be very challenging, even though they are designed to support streamers.
Over the years, many streamers and content creators have encountered issues with botting.
Trolls have utilized bots to artificially inflate follower numbers, attempting to get streamers banned since botting violates platform rules.
Some streamers have even exploited botting.
They have boosted their follower and viewer counts to attract attention, regardless of the potential consequences.
On October 21, the US Federal Trade Commission announced that viewbotting is now illegal.
This law applies if someone knowingly uses bots to increase their view count.
However, xQc believes that enforcing this law will still be difficult.
During his stream on October 22, he voiced his concerns.
“Oh god, chat, that seems impossible to enforce, sorry,” he said.
He explained that if someone bots a close friend, that person could simply claim ignorance.
When they share their data with a company, they might argue that it’s not proven their numbers are fake.
xQc is not convinced that enforcing these rules will lead to any meaningful outcomes.
He also questioned whether those who benefit from viewbotting will ever be caught.
“They’ve never got caught, they never will,” he said.
He noted that it’s easy for individuals to deny responsibility when they are targeted by a view botter.
Furthermore, xQc emphasized that the lack of accountability for recipients of viewbotting remains a significant issue.
He stated, “They have never faced punishment and they likely won’t in the future.” xQc argued that individuals involved in viewbotting often have many ways to deny their actions.
The recent FTC rules also include a requirement for social media influencers to disclose when they are being compensated to promote a product or service. These regulations went into effect on October 21, leaving no room for loopholes or delays.
xQc’s comments highlight the broader implications of such regulations within the streaming community, where many believe the challenges of enforcement may outweigh the intended benefits.
Overall, while the intention behind the new rules against viewbotting is to protect streamers, the effectiveness of these regulations remains a topic of debate in the gaming and streaming communities.
