Popular far-left Twitch streamers Hasan Piker and Vaush have been banned from the platform for using slurs against white people.
Both men were indefinitely suspended for using racial slurs including “cracker.”
On Monday, Piker used the slur during a broadcast with approximately 40,000 viewers. He was banned shortly after the stream concluded.
yes. it is for exactly what you think it is. anti white racism for using the term “cracker.” https://t.co/5cukDRubze
— hasanabi (@hasanthehun) December 14, 2021
Vaush, whose real name is Ian Kochinski, announced he was banned for using the same type of slurs early Tuesday morning.
never mind they banned me for using racial slurs https://t.co/689OugfqNZ
— Vaush (@VaushV) December 14, 2021
IT’S A MASSACRE pic.twitter.com/M7gejEUeKp
— Vaush (@VaushV) December 14, 2021
Kochinski shared an email that he said was from Twitch, which read in part, “based on the review of your activity or content, we have issued a Community Guidelines strike on your account. Due to the severe nature of this violation, or the fact that you’ve incurred multiple violation(s), your access to Twitch services is indefinitely restricted.”
The Twitch terms of service explicitly prohibit hateful conduct.
“We will take action on all instances of hateful conduct and harassment, with an increasing severity of enforcement when the behavior is targeted, personal, graphic, or repeated/prolonged, incites further abuse, or involves threats of violence or coercion,” the rules state. “The most egregious violations may result in an indefinite suspension on the first offense.”
Here’s one of the Twitch streamers who got suspended yesterday for calling white people “crackers” — which Twitch regards as a racist slur — explaining how vital it is that free speech be limited.
Listen to this shit: free speech can be saved only if there is censorship: pic.twitter.com/NeIskgafKw
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 14, 2021
Banning people for using the term “crackers” is obviously demented and repressive but the ultimate case of reaping and sowing.
It was incredibly easy to predict — and many tried warning — that banning people like Milo and Alex Jones would inevitably lead to this outcome.
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 14, 2021
Timcast has reached out to Twitch for comment and will update this article if a response is provided.