Popular Twitch streamer Imane "Pokimane" Anys has been temporarily banned from the platform for a Digital Millennium Copyright Act violation. The live streaming service has built up a very large community of viewers and streamers since its 2011 launch, with video game streams being a particularly popular part of the platform. Twitch gameplay streamer Pokimane is one of Twitch's most popular figures, with the internet personality known for streaming gameplay of Fortnite and League of Legends.
Pokimane first created her Twitch account in 2013, and by 2017 she became one of the website's top 100 most popular streamers. Starting her career as a League of Legends player, she later became well-known for her Fortnite gameplay and watch party streams. During watch party streams Pokimane will watch a film or television series and film the screen, allowing subscribers to tune in and watch along with her. The successful internet icon is also a member of OfflineTV, an online social entertainment group made up of fellow content creators such as Disguised Toast and Scarra. Pokimane's five dollar Twitch donation cap, implemented in November 2020, demonstrates her impressive success on the streaming platform and her support of smaller channels.
After a recent DMCA strike against Pokimane, the beloved streamer took to Twitter to announce her 48-hour suspension from the platform. The strike was apparently caused by a watch stream, with the film or show's owner claiming a violation of copyright. YouTuber Devin Nash explains the watch party issue in a recent video, which breaks down why these streams are a blatant violation of the DMCA. Streamers like Pokimane are sharing this content for financial gain, coming in the form of subscriptions and tips, despite not owning the content itself. Nash even suggests that lawsuits could result from these DMCA violations, though Pokimane has already announced plans for a 12-hour comeback stream upon her return to Twitch on January 10.
While Pokimane's popularity makes her ban from Twitch quite surprising, DMCA strikes have become a very frequent occurrence on the platform. Twitch streamer xQc was banned after a DMCA strike back in July 2021, though the suspension lasted a measly five hours. Similar to Pokimane's recent ban, xQc's DMCA strike was apparently caused when the content creator streamed live footage of the 2020 Summer Olympics. The streamer claimed to have taken necessary precautions before streaming the video to Twitch, with an appeal likely leading to his quick return to the service.
Despite Pokimane's long history on Twitch, it seems that her recent ban from the platform could have easily been avoided. Directly streaming video that the streamer does not own is a clear DMCA violation, making her temporary Twitch ban unsurprising. While Pokimane can return to the platform in just two days, future watch parties and DMCA takedowns could potentially jeopardize the internet icon's career.
Source: Pokimane/Twitter, Devin Nash/YouTube