Twitch Bans Users Who Continue To Spread Dangerous Disinformation About Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

Twitch, a video streaming platform popular among video game players. (photo: doc. unsplash)

JAKARTA – Amazon's video platform Twitch will ban users who continue to spread malicious disinformation on and off live video streaming sites. According to a Twitch spokesperson, Thursday, March 3, this was done as part of their move to block Russian state media from the platform.

Twitch, which is popular with video game players, said the rules would ban users whose online presence is dedicated to encouraging widely disproved misinformation with a real risk of harming the real world. For example, such as spreading a conspiracy that promotes violence.

According to a Reuters report, a Twitch spokesperson said the new rules would block Russian state media from being present on the platform because the outlets are constantly spreading misinformation from their service.

The spokesman said Russian state-owned media outlets had not been prominent on the platform. But Twitch has removed one channel with minimal activity, which it believes has ties to Russia's state-controlled news network, RT.

RT said earlier on Thursday, March 3, that it would join the video site Rumble, which is popular with conservatives in the US. They did this in a move that followed outlet restrictions by major online platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.

Rumble is famous in the US for providing ample opportunity for anyone to post content with minimal or almost no censorship. Rumble is a favorite for supporters of former US President Donald Trump, who has been banned from mainstream social media.

Meanwhile, the European Union has also announced sanctions banning RT and Sputnik, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Moscow said its actions in Ukraine were "special operations".

Twitch said its new rules against "malicious misinformation actors" would impact fewer than 100 channels at launch. In April, the streaming service will announce a ban on users for behavior that occurs off its site.