Twitch took another step in response to yesterday’s assault on the US Capitol. US President Donald Trump’s Twitch account has now been suspended.
The move comes after Facebook blocked the president’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. In an email to Kotaku, a Twitch representative said the measure was meant to prevent the president from “inciting further violence.”
“In light of yesterday’s shocking attack on the Capitol, we have deactivated President Trump’s Twitch channel,” they said. “Given the current extraordinary circumstances and the incendiary rhetoric of the president, we believe this is a necessary step to protect our community and prevent the use of Twitch to incite further violence.”
The spokesman said the suspension does not have an end date at this time. “We are focusing on minimizing the damage leading to the government’s transition and we will re-evaluate his account after he leaves office.”
It is not clear what constitutes a suspension in this case. Donald Trump’s account is still visible on Twitch and you can watch older videos uploaded to your account. Twitch may have suspended the ability to stream or upload new videos for the time being.
This is the second time the US President’s Twitch account has been suspended. Twitch briefly suspended its account in June for airing “hateful content.”
Twitch’s (and Facebook’s) decision to bandage the president’s social media accounts feels somewhat like closing the barn door after the horse escaped, fled to Washington DC and encouraged a crowd of pro-Trump supporters to walk the Capitol Hill. Little of what the president has posted on social media in the last week has varied from what he has posted since the November election loss.
From Twitch, it’s not like Donald Trump jumped on the channel and streamed Fortnite while spreading incendiary content. The account seemed to serve primarily as a venue for broadcasting Trump rallies to a gaming audience.
In 2020, Twitch, which typically focuses on video games, has now emerged as a popular hub for political mobilization, thanks in part to politicians such as President-elect Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Senator Bernie Sanders and House of Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez using platform to engage with US voters.