Popular Twitch streamer Jeremy “Disguised Toast” Wang was recently banned from the live streaming platform after a Digital Millennium Copyright Act strike. The internet personality started his career on YouTube back in 2015, and since then he has become well known for streaming gameplay of titles like Hearthstone and Among Us. Disguised Toast is also a member of the online social entertainment group OfflineTV, with fellow member Pokimane getting a DMCA strike and Twitch ban very recently.
While Twitch has grown into a premier live streaming service, DMCA strikes have recently become a frequent occurrence. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act makes it illegal to distribute copyrighted work, such as music or visual media. In the case of Twitch, streamers who share copyrighted music or footage with their viewers are violating the DMCA because they do not own the media being distributed. For example, Pokimane's recent Twitch ban came about after she streamed full episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender to her subscribers during a "watch party" stream. The popular streamer profited off of copyrighted work through tips and subscriptions, which is a major DMCA violation. A DMCA strike banned Twitch streamer xQc in July 2021 after he streamed footage from the 2020 Summer Olympics, though the matter was quickly resolved and he returned to the platform in mere hours.
As reported by Kotaku, Disguised Toast was recently banned from Twitch, possibly for an entire month, due to a DMCA takedown. Like his OfflineTV associate Pokimane, the strike was issued after the streamer deliberately shared copyrighted footage with his audience on Twitch. Disguised Toast was hosting an hours-long watch party stream of the anime series Death Note, according to Kotaku, and he contributed very little commentary during the event. While Pokimane was banned for only 48 hours after a similar incident, a tweet from Toast suggests that his ban may actually last an entire month.
As a fellow member of Disguised Toast's OfflineTV group, Imane "Pokimane" Anys is one of Twitch's most popular streamers. Known for her gameplay of Fortnite and League of Legends, the internet personality has also made attempts to influence the platform's other most successful figures. In December 2021 Pokimane discussed the Activision Blizzard controversy, with the publisher being accused of discrimination and abuse of female employees back in July 2021. Pokimane expressed that Twitch's most successful and financial stable streamers should stop streaming Activision Blizzard games, in order to show solidarity during the lawsuit.
Disguised Toast is the latest in a recent string of Twitch icons to be banned for DMCA violations. The platform's meta has shifted towards "watch party" streams, which are obvious violations of copyright law, and top streamers keep participating despite bans. While Pokimane's 48 hour ban had little impact on the popular figure, Disguised Toast's month-long ban from Twitch could have a very harmful effect on the streamer's stability and reputation.
Sources: Kotaku, Toast/Twitter