Twitch lifts ban on Donald Trump's account ahead of elections
Twitch, the streaming platform owned by Amazon, has reinstated former US President Donald Trump's account. The decision comes as Trump accepts the GOP nomination for the upcoming 2024 presidential election. "We reinstated former President Trump's Twitch channel," a spokesperson for Twitch confirmed. The ban was first imposed in January 2021 following the attacks on the US Capitol, and was due to an "ongoing risk of further incitement of violence."
Twitch believes in hearing directly from presidential nominees
The lifting of the ban on Trump's account is rooted in Twitch's belief in the importance of hearing directly from presidential nominees. "We believe there is value in hearing from Presidential nominees directly, when possible," a spokesperson for Twitch stated. Prior to the ban, Trump's team utilized his channel to broadcast some of his campaigns, which can now resume following the reinstatement.
Twitch enforces Community Guidelines across all channels
Despite lifting the ban on Trump's account, Twitch clarified that all channels on their platform, including those of public figures like Trump, are subject to their Community Guidelines. "We continue to enforce our Community Guidelines and take necessary enforcement action when we identify violations of our rules," a spokesperson for Twitch stated. The spokesperson further clarified that Twitch does not have a 'public figure policy,' implying all channels are equally subject to their guidelines.
