Summary
Twitchhas made headlines again after banning the prominentCall of Dutystreamer Censor, following an incident in which he used a racial slur during a livestream. The Amazon-owned streaming platform, known for its strict policy enforcement, maintains that it applies the same standards to all streamers, regardless of their popularity, and takes punitive action against those found to be in breach ofTwitch’s community guidelines.
In mid-October,Twitch also banned well-known American streamer ExtraEmily, who boasts over 260,000 followers on the platform and is celebrated for her innovative in-real-life (IRL) content. Her suspension resulted from her use of a phone while driving during a livestream, though it was a short-lived ban and lasted only three days. In her comeback stream, ExtraEmily admitted her mistake of using a phone while driving during a livestream, understanding that it violated Twitch’s rules, and promised not to repeat the error.
The spotlight now turns toCall of Dutystreamer Doug “Censor” Martin, who has become the most recent high-profile streamer to be sanctioned by Twitch. The decision followed the circulation of a clip on social media where Censor is heard using a racial slur. The context was a heated in-game exchange where Censor confronted another player suspected of cheating. In the heat of the moment, Censor repeated what the other player had said, including the racial slur they’d used. TheCall of Dutystreamer immediately realized his error, saying he felt like he was sinking to their level. He was visibly upset and apologized to his viewers for his behavior, highlighting that he was simply parroting the words of the other player and deeply regretted it.
It’s also noteworthy that on October 17,Twitchstreamer Censor found himself in another controversy when he used a homophobic slur directed at his teammate during a livestream. Recognizing his error, he issued an apology on social media and openly admitted his mistake, expressing disappointment in himself for letting his emotions get the better of him. Censor stated that the derogatory term he used did not align with his personal beliefs or values.
This marks Censor’s first-ever Twitch suspension, and the duration of the ban remains undisclosed. The response from the fan and streamer communities has been mixed, with some anticipating such an outcome, while others have suggested alternatives. One user proposed that Censor should explorerival streaming platform Kick.com, which is known for offering higher revenue opportunities compared to Twitch and being more lenient toward questionable behavior.
