Twitch Bans Channels Distributing 'Russian Propaganda', Spokesperson Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Amazon-owned streaming platform Twitch has banned several channels after American nonprofit organisation Tech Transparency Project (TTP) published a report accusing the channels of spreading "pro-Russian propaganda and conspiracy theories about Ukraine", Twitch's spokesperson said.

On Wednesday, TTP published a report saying it allegedly "found multiple Twitch channels that are actively spreading Russian-fuelled propaganda on Ukraine". According to the report, this "propaganda" includes a "widely debunked talking point that Russia is de-nazifying Ukraine" and "conspiracy theories that the US is running biolabs in Ukraine". TTP also accused Amazon of making money on this "propaganda" given that many channels generate revenue through subscription features and advertising, which is split with Twitch.

"While we have continued to see low volumes of harmful misinformation actors on Twitch, we have suspended several violative channels under this policy, including some who were specifically dedicated to spreading misinformation related to the crisis in Ukraine", the spokesperson was quoted by the Financial Times as saying.

The spokesperson added that the platform has banned the channels detailed in the report, and was investigating other channels. The spokesperson declined to comment on the reasons for banning the specific channels to "protect the privacy of individuals involved", according to the Financial Times.

On 24 February, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian forces. In response, the European Union and the US rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow, which includes airspace closures and restrictive measures targeting numerous Russian officials and entities, media, and financial institutions.