Twitch is one of the most popular live-streaming platforms on the internet. With millions of daily users and thousands of streamers, it is a hub for content creators from across the world.
However, with this popularity comes a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of its users. The organization has strict guidelines and community standards to ensure that all users are treated with respect and that no one is made to feel uncomfortable.
The guidelines that Twitch has put in place are designed to protect users from harmful and inappropriate content. Content creators on the platform can be banned for various reasons, and these rules are in place to ensure that everyone who uses the site feels safe and comfortable.
However, despite the strict rules, there have been several instances where broadcasters have been banned for violating community guidelines. This article will take a closer look at the reasons for Twitch bans, how to see banned streamers on the purple platform, what happens when the company suspends a streamer, and how long these suspensions last.
Twitch streamers banned: Common reasons
Broadcasters on the site can be banned for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to
#1 Nudity or sexual content
Twitch has a strict policy against nudity or sexual content. Streamers who violate this rule can be banned temporarily or permanently. It's one of the most common reasons for creators to be barred. Anyone who shows or discusses explicit content on their stream will face serious consequences.
#2 Hate speech and harassment
Twitch does not tolerate any form of hate speech or harassment. Broadcasters who violate this rule can be banned from the platform for a temporary or permanent period. Anyone who uses derogatory language or makes hurtful comments towards any individual or group will face serious consequences.
#3 Copyright infringement
Twitch streamers can be suspended for copyright infringement if they use copyrighted material without permission or proper attribution. The firm takes copyright infringement very seriously and has a team dedicated to monitoring and enforcing its policies.
#4 Violation of the Terms of Service
Twitch streamers can be banned for violating the platform's ToS, which includes engaging in any activity that violates the community guidelines. It means that anyone found to be engaging in harmful or inappropriate behavior will face consequences, including temporary or permanent bans.
Twitch streamers who were banned for a long time
Several high-profile names on the Amazon-owned platform have been barred over the years for violating community guidelines. Some of the most popular streamers who have been banned include:
#1 JiDion
JiDion's ban was one of the earliest and most high-profile ones on Twitch last year. He had a quick ascent to platform stardom thanks to his prank content, but that also meant he was pushing the envelope constantly and treading the fine line before getting in trouble. In January 2022, the popular streamer was having some beef with another top creator on the site, Pokimane. Consequently, JiDion told his viewers to raid her broadcasts and spam her chat with hateful messages. It was a clear breach of Twitch's policy on spam and harassment, so he was quickly slapped with a 14-day ban, later extended to a permanent suspension. The two internet personalities have since made up, but JiDion's permanently banned remains in effect.
#2 Dr Disrespect
Dr Disrespect's ban in June 2020 for reasons that remain unclear to this day remains one of the most high-profile such cases. Twitch has seemingly remained quiet on this matter for almost three years now, while the Two-Time has moved to YouTube and become one of its biggest stars. The two parties did settle their legal dispute in March 2022, but the megastar announced he would continue to stream on YouTube, where he has accumulated more than 4.32 million subscribers.
#3 Adin Ross
Before his move to Kick earlier this year, Adin Ross was making some big gains on Twitch, becoming one of its most popular faces. However, it didn't mean the streamer was free of controversy, far from it, as he was banned a total of eight times by the platform. In February this year, the 22-year-old was handed his final suspension, which he revealed was one that permanently barred him from the Amazon-owned live-streaming platform, although no explanation was given for keeping him out. Apparently, his propensity to use hateful slurs, promote gambling, and that time he streamed the Super Bowl were enough for Twitch to cut ties with one of is most divisive figures.
#4 Destiny
Destiny, a political streamer and veteran on Twitch, actually began his journey in 2011 by streaming gameplay of games like. However, his content became more debate-centric and politically charged in 2016, attracting more scrutiny as a result. Inevitably, despite his familiarity with the platform, the broadcaster was shockingly indefinitely banned in March 2022. The main reason given by officials was "hateful content," but it was never confirmed what exactly was said or done to lead to this categorization. There have also been theories that the suspension arose either out of Destiny's appearance on a broadcast with white nationalist Nick Fuentes or due to comments he made about transgender athletes.
#5 Twitch's gambling ban
August last year also saw Twitch pull out quite a fiery move, permanently banning the lucrative gambling scene that many of its top content creators were involved in. The likes of xQc, Adin Ross, and Trainwreckstv often participated in online crypto gambling during their broadcasts, with some of them even signing multi-million dollar contracts with these companies to promote gambling sites to their audiences. The fact that these platform stars were indulging in such exercises was a controversial enough topic, but the news of streamer ItsSliker scamming viewers and close friends out of $200,000 to finance a gambling addiction was the final nail in the coffin, leading many to mandate a platform-wide ban of gambling content. Top Twitch creators like Pokimane did not hold back, demanding that gambling be barred on the site, and the officials buckled under the pressure by entirely banning any such content. What it led to was to wipe out a massive emerging meta on Twitch, with many pro-gambling creators calling the decision reactive and needlessly restrictive. It was definitely one of the biggest stories to come out of the streaming world in 2022.
These are a few examples of the many instances of streamers getting barred from the platform over the years.
Streamers who were unbanned
Fortunately, some of these names redeemed themselves by getting unbanned from the platform after a long period of time:
#1 mumusiraneitor
Twitch streamer mumusiraneitor was banned for unknown reasons in November 2020, and she remained out until earlier today. While she is not one of the bigger names to have been suspended and then allowed back after an extended gap, it was still one of the longer unbans for a broadcaster on the site. Her Twitch channel still has the message that any content is unavailable due to a violation of the organization’s ToS, her fans can expect the content creator to be back soon.
#2 PhantomL0rd
PhantomL0rd, another well-known streamer, was unbanned from Twitch after a long gap. He was barred in 2016 after being accused of promoting an unlicensed gambling website on his stream. It became quite a big controversy as it put the spotlight on gambling in the online gaming community. The streamer remained away from Twitch for several years before getting unbanned in 2020. However, he has not yet resumed streaming.
#3 Indiefoxx
Indiefoxx incredibly got banned six times in the first half of 2021, with the final one leading to her being taken off the shelf for an extended period. The once-in-demand ASMR and hot tub streamer revealed a year after her permanent ban that while hosting an ASMR stream, she suffered a wardrobe malfunction that was caught on stream, leading to severe punishment. The suspension also led to her Twitch partnership loss, although she did reveal at the beginning of this month that her suspension had been lifted and that she was grateful to be back, promising to be more careful as it might be her final chance as a content creator on the site.
#4 Trainwreckstv
In 2018, popular platform name Trainwreckstv got banned for displaying sexually explicit content during a live broadcast. It was initially listed for 30 days before getting extended to an indefinite suspension. After a few months away, he was unbanned from the platform in 2019, but things never settled due to the Twitch’s gambling restrictions clashing with his plans to indulge in that genre. The Iranian-American ended up leaving the site for good at the beginning of 2023 to join up with the new streaming platform, Kick, as a non-owner advisor and non-exclusive broadcaster.
#5 Alinity
Alinity remains one of the most controversial cases of a Twitch streamer being unbanned. The Colombian was caught in many controversies over the years, including allegations of animal abuse and copyright infringement. The incident in question happened in 2020, when she accidentally showed her nipple during a live stream, leading to a ban. However, it was reversed after just three days, leading to accusations of preferential treatment toward some Twitch community members.
These are a few examples of Twitch streamers getting unbanned. The reasons for their suspensions were many, but many of these personalities redeemed themselves and returned to the platform.
In some cases, these names used their time away from Twitch to reflect on their actions and change their behavior. In other cases, the company may have decided that the broadcaster had been punished enough and deserved a second chance.
It's worth noting that getting unbanned from Twitch is not easy. The organization has strict guidelines and community standards in place, and those who fall afoul of them need to go through a lot to be able to prove their innocence/get a second chance.
How to see banned streamers on Twitch?
The streaming website does not have a dedicated section for barred creators, but readers can find their names on third-party sites. A popular option is StreamerBans, which maintains an updated database of such bans. Fans can also search for information about banned streamers on social media platforms like Twitter and Reddit.
Reporting people on Twitch
Twitch usually has bots to monitor streams, particularly those using copyrighted audio, but nothing beats user reports. They can report a streamer’s channel, content, or chat at any point, letting the platform know that they’re doing something wrong and perhaps spurring the officials into action. It all begins with the ‘report menu’ found in the same place on every stream.
However, if users abuse the report function, they could themselves be in hot water. Hence, they must only report a channel when sure something wrong is going on. There’s an extensive list of things to report a channel to make it as specific as possible. When reporting any broadcaster, users will be invited to leave comments and timestamps to make Twitch’s job a little easier.
Sometimes, readers may not be sure if the rules have been broken. For instance, they might not be aware of a list of the banned words on Twitch existing. However, if they’re really unsure, there’s no harm in reporting a channel, just in case.
Twitch apparently reviews reports quickly, but no updates are provided, so users will never know if any action was actually taken. Of course, they can check out the profile later to see if it was banned. Who knows, their report might have been successful, leading to that creator getting banned.
What happens when Twitch bans a streamer?
When someone gets barred, their account is suspended from the platform. It means they lose access to their channel, chat logs, and all associated data. Additionally, Twitch may take down past broadcasts or clips which violate community guidelines.
The platform might issue a temporary or permanent ban, depending on the severity of the violation. In some cases, streamers may receive a warning or suspension that lasts a few days or weeks. In more serious cases, the site may issue a permanent suspension, meaning the broadcaster's account is permanently suspended and they can no longer use the platform.
How long do Twitch streamer bans last?
Twitch streamer bans can vary in length depending on the severity of the violation. Temporary bans can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks, while permanent bans are indefinite. Content creators who get the former will be notified of the length of the ban and when they can resume streaming.
Twitch may have strict guidelines and community standards in place, but it's important to note that these rules are not always enforced equally. There have been instances of popular streamers receiving lighter punishments for similar violations compared to smaller broadcasters. This has led to accusations of bias and a lack of consistency in the enforcement of Twitch's guidelines.
Conclusion
Twitch has strict guidelines and community standards to ensure users' safety and well-being. Streamers can be banned for numerous reasons, including nudity or sexual content, hate speech and harassment, copyright infringement, and violation of the terms of service. When someone is banned, their account is suspended from the platform, and they may face a temporary or permanent ban depending on the severity of the violation.