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Streaming platform Twitch has banned former President Donald Trump "indefinitely." The Verge first reported the news.
In a statement to Insider, a Twitch spokesperson confirmed that the Amazon-owned company has " indefinitely suspended President Trump's Twitch channel due to the ongoing risk of further incitement of violence. The President's statements continue to be interpreted as calls to action, and we are taking this action to remove the potential for harm to our community and the general public."
Twitch previously blocked Trump from using the platform, after a mob of pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, though Twitch left its account active. Twitch appears to have strengthened that restriction by preventing Trump from being able to stream on its platform.
According to The Verge, the new move means Trump will not be able to create another account on Twitch unless the company reverses its ban. Twitch also told Insider that it will be updating its policies as a result of its decision.
As The Verge notes, Twitch is the first tech company to crack down on Trump after his presidency has ended. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn in on Wednesday at the US Capitol.
Twitch's indefinite ban of the former president comes two weeks after the deadly siege on the US Capitol led a slew of tech companies to restrict Trump's online accounts. Instead of publicly calling for the supporters who breached the federal building's walls to retreat, Trump released a video in which he briefly asked them to "go home" before telling them "we love you, you're very special." But Trump spent the majority of the video continuing with his unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
Facebook suspended Trump "indefinitely" or at least until Inauguration, when now-President Joe Biden would be sworn into office.
Twitter permanently suspended Trump's account two days after the insurrection at the Capitol "due to the risk of further incitement of violence." And the violence also prompted corporate America at large to take a stronger stance against the former president, with some cutting off political funding.
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See Also:
- Selena Gomez emailed Sheryl Sandberg months before the Capitol siege to highlight US militia group activity on Facebook
- What happened last week? Biden introduced a $1.9 trillion stimulus plan, Parler sued Amazon, and Loews Hotels cancelled a fundraiser for a senator.
- Online misinformation about the US election fell 73% after Trump's social media ban
