FYI: This is for a streamers chat, not in game chat!
Quick definitions first, since these two terms get mixed up a lot:
Spec cheating (short for spectator cheating) is when an active player has a second account, a friend, or a teammate join the match as a spectator and feed them real-time information about their opponents.
Backseating (short for backseat gaming) is giving unsolicited advice, instructions, or criticism to someone who is playing, without being asked.
Those are two different things, and right now it feels like they’re being treated as one.
Banning viewers who are both spectating in the match and chatting in the streamer’s chat is one thing. That’s a real way to pass information. But a blanket rule against viewers talking about the current game state in chat is wild. Imagine getting banned because you saw something on the streamer’s minimap and said “man, those hovers look scary.” Under a rule that broad, that’s apparently grounds for a ban.
Watching a stream and reacting to it isn’t cheating. Viewers are supposed to be able to do that.
Edit:
Mods, all I’m asking for is a proper definition of what counts as spectator cheating. Spell out what’s actually bannable so regular viewers aren’t punished for normal chat.
There also needs to be clarification on who is getting banned, because nobody knows if it is the streamer or the viewer thats going to get banned.
If it is the streamer, stream snipers could easily put in false info that the streamer could read as spec cheating (even if false) and get them banned