Quick Answer
Facebook does not allow comments on live videos for a few reasons:
- To avoid abuse and spam comments in real-time
- To keep the focus on the live broadcast
- Technical limitations with scaling live comment moderation
However, comments are enabled on recordings of live videos after the broadcast ends. Viewers can go back and comment on the recorded video replay.
In-Depth Explanation
Avoid Abuse and Spam
One of the main reasons Facebook disables comments on live videos is to avoid abuse and spam. With live video, there is no time delay or filter for comments. Anything viewers type would appear instantly.
This real-time nature makes it very difficult to moderate offensive, harmful, or spammy comments. Facebook determined it was safer to disable comments entirely rather than allow unchecked interactions.
Other platforms like YouTube and Twitch do allow live comments, but also struggle with moderating toxic chat environments. Facebook opted for the more cautious approach for its platform.
Keep the Focus on the Broadcast
In addition to concerns over moderation, Facebook also wanted the focus to remain on the live broadcaster and their content.
Flooding the stream with comments could be distracting and overwhelming for both the broadcaster and the audience. It can make it difficult to follow along with the video.
The lack of commenting puts the emphasis entirely on the live video itself. Viewers can react with emojis, but cannot have side conversations that disrupt the broadcast.
Technical Limitations
There are also technical constraints that likely factored into the decision to disable live comments. Scaling out live moderation presents challenges, especially for a platform the size of Facebook.
YouTube struggles even with its massive resources to effectively moderate live chat at scale. Facebook may have determined that the engineering effort wasn’t worth it.
The strains of millions of concurrent live streams, with millions of live commenters, would require tremendous infrastructure. The costs may have outweighed the benefits.
Allow Comments on Replays
While you cannot comment during a live broadcast, Facebook does allow comments on replays of live videos.
After a live video ends, it remains viewable as a recording. At this point, Facebook opens up comments just like regular video posts.
Viewers can go back after the fact and leave feedback, questions, or react to highlights from the live video. This provides some compromised capabilities between disabling all comments and enabling 100% unmoderated live chat.
Why Disable Live Comments?
Common Reasons Platforms Disable Live Chat
| Platform | Reasons for Disabling Live Chat |
|---|---|
| Avoid abuse/spam, Focus on broadcast, Scaling challenges | |
| YouTube | Toxicity concerns, Brand safety concerns |
| Twitch | Hate raids, Bot spam |
As we can see, the most common factors are:
- Moderation difficulties at scale
- Concerns over toxicity and brand safety
- Spam and bot attacks
Platforms have to weigh the risks and downsides of unfiltered live chat against the benefits. Often the cons outweigh the pros.
Alternatives to Full Comment Disable
While some platforms fully disable comments, others take alternative approaches:
- Slow mode – Limiting how often viewers can chat
- Follower-only chat – Requiring an account follow to comment
- Allowing replay comments
- Relying heavily on human and AI moderation
These can help balance engagement with mitigating abuse risks. But they still require significant resources to moderate effectively.
Best Practices for Live Streaming
Here are some tips for creating great live videos even without viewer comments:
Interact With Viewers in Real-Time
Respond to viewer reactions and emojis as they come in. This creates a two-way conversation of sorts.
Bring on Guests or Co-Hosts
Having a co-host or interviewing guests can make the broadcast more engaging.
Suggest Comments Topics After the Show
In your replay video, suggest specific topics for viewers to comment on after the fact.
Review Analytics for Replay Video
Study the replay video performance – which sections had high viewership, drop offs, etc. Use this to improve your next live stream.
The Future of Live Video Comments
Improved Moderation Technology
Advancements in AI and machine learning may someday allow better auto-moderation at scale. This could open doors for more live chatting down the road.
Smaller, More Engaged Communities
Platforms may enable live comments for creators with a proven engaged audience less likely to abuse the feature. This could limit scaling challenges.
Differentiated Comment Experiences
Unique live chat features tailored to the live stream use case, separate from platforms’ main comment threads, may arise. This could facilitate better moderation.
Caution Around Brand Safety
However, platforms will likely continue erring on the side of caution when it comes to unmoderated live chat at large scale. Concerns around brand safety and PR risk will remain high.
Conclusion
Facebook disables live comments to avoid moderation challenges at scale and keep the focus on the broadcast. Other platforms face similar trade-offs. While live chat provides engagement, the downsides often outweigh the benefits for major platforms. Improvements in moderation technology may shift this balance in the future, but widespread unmoderated live chat brings substantial risks. As a result, comment-free live streaming is likely here to stay as the default on most platforms.