Twitch Faces Backlash from Streamers Over Demonetization for National Representation

Twitch Faces Backlash from Streamers Over Demonetization for National Representation

Streamers Raise Concerns Over Twitch Demonetization Based on Nationality Tags

In a troubling turn of events, several Twitch streamers have accused the platform of unjustly demonetizing their channels simply for representing their home countries in tag selections. This controversy has emerged amid ongoing criticisms regarding Twitch’s management of content bans and rising issues of hate speech on the platform, including allegations of antisemitism involving notable streamers.

Streamer Experiences Sudden Loss of Income

On November 12, FaZe Kaysan shared distressing news: he had received no ad revenue throughout November despite his channels running advertisements. After reaching out to a contact at Twitch, he learned that his account had been demonetized—an action taken without any violation of the platform’s Community Guidelines.

Impact of Country Representation

The root of Kaysan’s demonetization seems to stem from a tag he used in his streams: ‘Iran’. While playing Call of Duty, Kaysan noticed that this designation triggered issues with ad revenue. In his own words, the streamer stated: “As you guys know, I’m Iranian and I’ve had that same tag for about two years. I don’t talk about politics.”He also expressed curiosity about whether other politically engaged streamers, like Hasan Piker, faced similar repercussions.

Twitch’s New Policies and Their Fallout

In early November, Twitch introduced a feature allowing users to hide streams featuring political content. In the announcement, the platform cautioned that certain brands might prefer not to place ads on streams labeled with specific content classifications. Kaysan noted that while he doesn’t want to entirely blame Twitch, he was informed that advertisers were becoming increasingly cautious about political content due to the approaching U.S. elections.

Concerns Over Lack of Transparency

While acknowledging the complexities of advertising decisions, Kaysan criticized Twitch for the lack of communication regarding his demonetization, leaving him unaware of the financial impact throughout the month.

Shared Experiences Among Streamers

Interestingly, Kaysan is not alone in this predicament. Fellow streamer BigEx also reported a similar issue, revealing he was demonetized after using ‘Venezuela’ as a tag. He expressed frustration over the financial losses incurred as a result: “This is absurd. I’m missing thousands of dollars.”

Future of Tag-Related Demonetization

As the U.S. election cycle comes to a close, the resolution of this tagging issue remains uncertain. However, Kaysan has indicated that he may reluctantly remove the ‘Iran’ tag to prevent further losses, stating: “It almost feels like I’m selling out. I’m Iranian. I’m proud to be Iranian.”

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