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THE TECH BASIC
With the 2024 US presidential election just months away, streaming platform Twitch has decided to reactivate former President Donald Trump’s account. Suspended “indefinitely” since 2021, Trump’s account can now resume campaign streaming activities on the Amazon-owned platform.
This move comes as several tech giants are reviewing their positions on the former White House incumbent.
A Reinstatement Motivated by the Desire to Hear the Candidates
Twitch justifies its decision to lift the suspension of Donald Trump’s account by emphasizing the importance of giving a voice to presidential candidates.
A company spokesperson told:
“We believe there is value in hearing directly from presidential candidates whenever possible.”
It’s worth noting that before his suspension, Trump’s team regularly used his Twitch channel to broadcast campaign events.
Alignment with the Decisions of Other Tech Giants
Twitch’s move is part of a broader trend seen among other major tech companies. Just days earlier, Meta announced it was lifting enhanced sanctions on Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Mark Zuckerberg’s company cited similar reasons to Twitch, saying all presidential candidates should be given equal treatment on their platforms ahead of the election.
YouTube reinstated Trump’s account last year, while Twitter (now X) did the same in 2022 under the leadership of its new owner, Elon Musk.
An Account Subject to Community Rules
If Twitch lifts the suspension of Donald Trump’s account, the company wants to emphasize that it will be subject to the same rules as other users.
“We continue to enforce our community guidelines and take appropriate action when we identify violations of our rules,”
Twitch spokesperson said.
“Twitch does not have a specific policy for public figures, which means that all accounts are equally subject to our guidelines, whether or not they belong to a public figure,”
He added.
Before his indefinite suspension in 2021, following the storming of the Capitol by his supporters, Trump’s Twitch account had already been temporarily suspended in 2020 for spreading hateful content.
Donald Trump’s re-entry into Twitch marks a new chapter in the former president’s complicated relationship with social media platforms. With the race for the White House looming, it remains to be seen how Trump will use this newfound channel of communication.