November 23, 2024

Amazon-owned Twitch has blocked Trump from streaming after the ‘shocking attack on the Capitol’

Twitch #Twitch

a group of people posing for the camera: Pro-Trump rioters broke into the US Capitol on Wednesday. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images © Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Pro-Trump rioters broke into the US Capitol on Wednesday. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

  • Twitch has disabled President Trump’s official account from streaming, the company said on Thursday. 
  • Twitch, which is owned by Amazon, is the latest in a string of tech companies that have announced censures to Trump’s use in the wake of the siege on the US Capitol on Wednesday afternoon.
  • “In light of yesterday’s shocking attack on the Capitol, we have disabled President Trump’s Twitch channel,” the company said. “Given the current extraordinary circumstances and the President’s incendiary rhetoric, we believe this is a necessary step to protect our community and prevent Twitch from being used to incite further violence.”
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  • Amazon-owned Twitch is the latest social media platform to ban President Donald Trump.

    The move comes just a few hours after Facebook announced the same move, which bars Trump from both Facebook and Instagram indefinitely.

    “In light of yesterday’s shocking attack on the Capitol, we have disabled President Trump’s Twitch channel,” Twitch representatives said in a statement. “Given the current extraordinary circumstances and the President’s incendiary rhetoric, we believe this is a necessary step to protect our community and prevent Twitch from being used to incite further violence.”

    Pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol building on Wednesday afternoon, and eventually breached the floors of the House and Senate.

    a group of people walking in front of a large crowd of people: Rioters at the US Capitol Building. Michael Nigro/Pacific Press:LightRocket/Getty © Michael Nigro/Pacific Press:LightRocket/Getty Rioters at the US Capitol Building. Michael Nigro/Pacific Press:LightRocket/Getty

    Four people died, and both the House and Senate were forced to evacuate to safety while in session.

    Pro-Trump protesters gathered in Washington DC on Wednesday for the “Stop the Steal” protest, an event based on the baseless conspiracy theory that accuses Democrats of stealing the presidential election for President-elect Joe Biden.

    Around 2 p.m. ET, mobs of pro-Trump rioters attending the protest broke into the US Capitol building after breaking through police barricades. It wasn’t until four hours later that US officials said the building was clear of rioters.

    During and after the siege on the US Capital, Trump took to Twitter in a series of messages that have since been deleted. Twitter later moved to suspend his account for the first time.

    Notably, though Trump’s Twitch account remains live and contains archives of past streams, it can’t be used for streaming going forward. These restrictions will be reassessed after President-elect Joe Biden assumes office on January 20, a company rep told Insider. 

    Got a tip? Contact Business Insider senior correspondent Ben Gilbert via email (bgilbert@businessinsider.com), or Twitter DM (@realbengilbert). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by email only, please.

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