Streaming site Twitch is embroiled in a controversy over YouTubers’ content about their dealings with Israel and Palestine

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CNN
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YouTubers on Twitch have been embroiled in controversy over Israel’s war in Gaza in recent months, spooking advertisers and brands that have pulled away from or otherwise admonished the Amazon-owned livestreaming platform.

According to a source, JPMorgan Chase pulled out of Twitch advertising in recent months, although it was part of a broader strategy of brand safety and concerns about what content was shown near its ads. Accusations of anti-Semitism were included in these considerations.

Chevron, a sponsor of Twitch’s semi-annual convention, TwitchCon, expressed disappointment with Twitch in a statement to CNN following controversial comments made during a TwitchCon panel featuring Middle Eastern streamers.

At least two other companies, AT&T and Dunkin’ Donuts, have also pulled out of advertising on the platform, according to Bloomberg. Twitch told CNN it does not comment on advertisers.

The Twitch controversy highlights how difficult it is to engage with sensitive political issues that are often discussed and shared on social media.

“There is no place for racism, hate or harassment of any kind on Twitch, including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia,” Twitch CEO Dan Clancy wrote in a November blog post, adding that Twitch “works hard to ensure that our Community is a safe place.” .”

Hasan Piker, who refers to his 2.8 million Twitch subscribers as HasanAbi, has been described as the Joe Rogan of the left.

Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York wrote a letter to Twitch last month “regarding anti-Semitic and anti-American propaganda emanating from Hasan Piker, one of Twitch’s largest online streamers.”

In the letter, Torres wrote: “Mr. Piker has demonized Orthodox Jews as “inbred” and dehumanized a Jewish man as a “bloodthirsty bastard.” Last month, Piker told NBC News that the videos cited in the letter were taken out of context and that he was criticizing the Israeli government. not a Jewish people.

“I have been an outspoken advocate for Palestinian emancipation for ten years, professionally in my media career,” he said in an interview with Wired in August. When asked about anti-Semitic allegations in an interview with CNN, he said: “Of course not. The real problem here is that I am anti-Zionist. The real problem here is that I am extremely critical of Israel.”

A campaign to pressure advertisers to pull out of Twitch has been led by supporters of Dan “DanCantStream” Saltman and people in fields associated with Steven “Destiny” Bonnell. Saltman has criticized and targeted Piker, and Saltman told DigiDay that his campaign’s group has already reached over 100 advertisers.

In response to questions from a Bloomberg journalist, he said: “The goal of our campaign is simple: CEO Dan Clancy resigns.” He also said: “My ban from Twitch was ceremonial at best – I was in the process of closing my account delete when the ban came into effect.”

Both were suspended from Twitch for different reasons; Saltman for harassment rules and Destiny for hateful behavior. Many of her fans online on forums like Reddit want her reinstated.

Saltman claims his ban likely prevented him from speaking to other streamers about issues on the platform.

“When a major media company like Twitch promotes, encourages and protects vicious anti-Semitism on its platform, it is wise for advertisers to be clear about which areas they support,” Saltman said in the letter.

At the center of the controversy are comments made at the “Ayyrabs Podcast” panel moderated by Twitch partner and streamer Frogan at TwitchCon. The in-person event is dedicated to the platform, its creators and users and took place in September.

Twitch suspended those panelists, as well as a separate account for user Asmongold, after he made racist comments about Palestinians. CNN was not told how long each suspension lasted.

When panelists on the panel ranked how “Arab” other streamers were, the lowest category on the board was “Loves Sabra.” Sabra, a hummus brand previously partially owned by Israeli food company The Strauss Group, was fully acquired by PepsiCo in November. Sabra is often part of pro-Palestinian boycotts.

Logos from Chevron, Samsung and Capcom could be seen in the background of the panel.

In a statement to CNN, Chevron said the “derogatory comments” on stage were “deeply hurtful” and expressed disappointment with Twitch organizers.

“As an event sponsor, Chevron relied on conference organizers to exercise strict control over presentations and content, and we are disappointed that such divisive rhetoric was allowed on stage,” a spokesman said Wednesday. The company said it “regularly reviews” its sponsorships and advertising.

In October, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a pro-Israel and Jewish advocacy group that works to combat anti-Semitism, said it spoke to Twitch employees a month after TwitchCon.

“Twitch must learn from this situation and improve how it deals with anti-Semitism and hate on its platform, which is an ongoing and significant challenge,” the ADL said in a statement on X. The ADL said it is not in contact with any advertisers.

An online commentator, Ethan Klein, who was introduced on the forum as someone who “loves Sabra,” posted a video claiming that the panel’s messages were “kind of Arabic good, Jewish bad.”

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She also said that the “Habibi Pass” list is a “meme tier list,” which she essentially equates to an online joke in a format popular on the internet. (“Habibi” is Arabic and means “beloved”; a “Habibi Pass” means someone who can use the word according to its meaning.)

“The entire basis of my podcast Ayyrabs with Capri and Raff is that we are all Arabs with different religious backgrounds – I am Muslim, Capri is Christian and Raff is Jewish,” she said, referring to the podcast’s suspended hosts, who they were also part of the committee.

In October, Frogan revealed that her ban was longer than that of user Asmongold, whose real name is Zack Hoyt. His main channel on Twitch is popular with 3.6 million followers. While Frogan’s comments, made with sponsors clearly visible in the background behind her, resulted in a 30-day ban, she said Hoyt’s tirade against Palestinians received two weeks. Twitch has not confirmed the length of the bans.

Earlier this year, he called the victims of Israel’s military operation, who number at least 44,502 according to the local health ministry, “terrible people,” adding that they came from an “inferior culture.”

“If you want to look at genocide as the systematic killing of a group of people, genocide is currently enshrined in sharia,” Asmongold said in the viral clip. “So no, I will not cry when people who have genocide written into their laws suffer genocide. I don’t give a shit. These are terrible people. It’s not even a question. It’s crazy that people don’t see it that way. They would do the same thing.”

Asmongold later posted an apology on Comments “disgusting”.

Twitch said it enforces its policies evenly.

“All content on Twitch must adhere to our Community Guidelines, and we apply these rules objectively to all of our creators. When we find content that violates these rules, we take enforcement action,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

In November, Twitch updated its hate content policy to add the term “Zionist” when used “to attack or demean another individual or group of people based on their race or religious beliefs.”

The company acknowledged that Zionism refers to a political movement and that use of the term in that context, whether in support or not, did not violate the policy.

That same month, Twitch also asked streamers to use the new label “Politics and Sensitive Social Issues” for topics related to these topics. These labels help users choose what they want to consume on the site and also give brands more control over where their ads appear, Twitch said.

“Our goal is not to suppress discussion of or criticism of any institution or ideology, but rather to prevent coded hatred against individuals and groups of people,” the company’s policy states.