Twitch is updating its misinformation policies to pressure those who are deemed to have been spreading misinformation on its platform. They stated on their blog post,
“Every day, people come together on Twitch to build communities that celebrate a variety of interests, passions, and talents. We’re proud that Twitch can bring people together – but we do not believe that individuals who use online services to spread false, harmful information, have a place in our community. While these individuals are not prevalent on Twitch, they could cause significant harm if allowed on our service.”
This change will affect fewer than 100 channels in the beginning they said, but look to see this number grow as they further tighten the restrictions. The current information war that is taking place due to the war that is happening between Russia and Ukraine can be added to the mix as to why they hastily update their policies.
Democracy is now being tested as well due to the one-sided reporting the media does on the crisis that is taking place in Ukraine. Various Russian media outlets have been banned from Europe; pages have been de-platformed. It’s an absolute disaster and gross misconduct.
The timing of this policy is not coincidental given what is going on. Hopefully, they are setting an example and not following the herd.
