Hasan Piker is known for his polarizing political commentary, but there is one term Twitch does not tolerate.
For using a certain insult on Twitch, Hasan Piker got banned for the seventh time in his career, highlighting how political language is increasingly policed on major platforms.
Hasan Piker Suspended From Twitch After Comments on Alex Pretti Case
In a recent stream, Hasan Piker was discussing the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, an event that has become a focal point of national debate. During that conversation, he suggested that Pretti may have been monitored before the fatal encounter, stating:
“Two senior national security officials tell me there are more than a dozen secret watch lists that Homeland Security is using to track protestors, both anti-ICE and pro-Palestinian.”
In the course of that discussion, Piker referred to the alleged trackers as “zionist pigs” and “Israel-first monsters,” phrases that go against Twitch’s Terms of Service.
Because these remarks were deemed to breach the platform’s community guidelines, Twitch temporarily suspended his channel, once again taking it offline during the live broadcast.
As of today, Hasan Piker’s account has been restored and he is once again able to stream on Twitch.
Hasan Piker Reacts to Twitch Ban As Terms Of Service Come Under Scrutiny
As a direct reaction to his ban, Hasan Piker posted on X:
“You CAN say nazi pig on Twitch, you CAN say Democrat pig, you can say Republican pig, you can say Islamist pig. You CANNOT say zionist pig.”
Twitch, however, points to its Terms of Service, stating:
“Similar to other terms that may be used as a proxy for a protected group, we treat ‘Zionists’ as a proxy for Jews or Israelis if the word is used in a context to promote harm or violence, or when used to make dehumanizing comparisons or perpetuate antisemitic stereotypes.”
Naturally, the internet began commenting on the case almost immediately and reacted widely with a lack of understanding regarding this particular ban. Among the responses were comments such as:
“That’s a very specific rule lol.”
“So Zionists are a protected group.”
“Ah yes, the one ideology you cannot criticize for some reason. No different than saying liberal pig, communist pig, or fascist pig. I wonder why that is?”
The idea that dehumanizing language should not be permitted on the platform is, in principle, a reasonable one. However, if that standard is applied, it needs to be applied consistently. Singling out one term while allowing comparable ideological insults elsewhere creates an uneven rule set.
This is especially contentious in the case of Zionism, which is a political ideology rather than a reference to Jews or Israelis as a whole. Treating criticism or insult directed at that ideology as an attack on a protected group is what makes this ban appear inconsistent to many observers.
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