Twitch took another step in response to the assault on the US Capitol yesterday. It has now suspended US President Donald Trump’s Twitch account.
The move comes after Facebook closed the president’s accounts on Facebook and Instagram. In an email to Kotaku, a Twitch representative said the move was intended to prevent the president from “inciting further violence.”
“In light of the shocking attack on the Capitol yesterday, we have eliminated Trump’s Twitch channel,” they said. “Given the current extraordinary circumstances and the president’s infectious rhetoric, we believe it is a necessary step to protect our community and prevent Twitch from being used to incite further violence.”
The spokesman said the suspension has no end date at the moment. “We are committed to addressing damage leading to the transition of the government and will reconsider his account after he leaves office.”
It is slightly unclear what a suspension is in this case. Donald Trump’s account can still be seen on Twitch and one can see older videos uploaded to the account. It is possible that Twitch has temporarily suspended the ability to broadcast or upload new videos.
This is the second time the US president’s Twitch account has been suspended. Twitch briefly suspended its account in June for broadcasting ‘hateful content’.
The decision by Twitch (and Facebook) to compile the president’s social media accounts feels a bit like closing the barn door after the horse escaped, running down to Washington DC and urging a crowd of Trump supporters to march up Capitol Hill. Little of what the president posted on social media over the past week differs from what he has posted since he lost the November election.
For Twitch, it’s not like Donald Trump jumped on the bandwagon and streamed Fortnite while spreading infectious content. The bill seems to mostly serve as a place to rebroadcast Trump’s rallies for a game audience.
In 2020, the normally focused video game Twitch now found itself a popular hub for political mobilization, thanks in part to politicians such as President-elect Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Senator Bernie Sanders and House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez running the platform use. to enter into dialogue with American voters.