After the AverageHarry streamer was banned permanently because his account was created before age 13, Twitch viewers pointed out that other streamers in a similar position did not face the same consequences.
Twitch regularly faces adverse reactions to his decision to ban certain people, and often leads to confusion as to what exactly the rules allow.
The October DMCA drama left many big streamers depriving their content channels for fear of removal, and the change in Twitch’s TOS policy that restricted the use of words like ‘simp’ left streamers afraid of breaking the rules unintentionally.
The 15-year-old AverageHarry streamer was denied partnership with Twitch in early January due to the fact that he signed up before he was 13, after waiting 72 days for a response to his request.
for those who are wondering why, I will have a video tomorrow talking about all this. I am allowed to make another account, but I just lost almost 90 thousand followers https://t.co/B68SpBjZGF
– averageharry 🦍 (@HarryButAometric) January 23, 2021
Although it was a very hard blow, things got worse when, on January 23, he was banned permanently. He clarified on Twitter that: “I am allowed to make another account, but I just lost almost 90 thousand followers.”
But now Twitch users are seeing some inconsistencies in Twitch’s decision to permanently ban torment, since popular streamers of similar age are not being treated the same way.
A Redditor pointed out that the popular 16-year-old streamer TommyInnit appeared to make his account when he was 11, but did not face the same problems in terms of partner status and banning. The user called Twitch’s “gross hypocrisy”.
Tommyinnit’s Twitch account was made when he was 11 years old. Disgusting Twitch Hypocrisy or what? from r / LivestreamFail
Another commentator pointed out that several Fortnite streamers are all in a similar position, with some of them likely starting their accounts when they were under 13.
No way is Twitch really going to do that.
– Age when the account was created
Bugha (3.8 million followers) – 12 years old
Benjyfishy (2.8 million followers) – 10 years old
Mongraal (3.8 million followers) – 12 years
New (3.9 million followers) – 10 years
TommyInnit (3.3 million followers) – 11 years old– ONSCREEN (@onscreenlol) January 23, 2021
If Twitch ended up following permanent bans for all streamers who did their math when they were under 13, even if they were over that age, that would certainly be bad news for many of the big communities on the site.
However, it is also possible that there are conditions in the Twitch TOS that are responsible for these discrepancies, which means that some streamers are still allowed to maintain their accounts according to the rules, even if they made their accounts before 13 years.
Harry revealed that he only signed up for Twitch two months before he turned 13, saying, “I spent 2 years and almost 2,000 hours broadcast just to be taken away because I signed up 2 months earlier.”
in fact, a heartbroken man, I spent 2 years and almost 2,000 hours broadcast just to be taken away because I signed up 2 months earlier.
I’ll post a video tomorrow with my new account, thank you if you can share
– averageharry 🦍 (@HarryButAometric) January 23, 2021
Harry fans are now looking on Twitch for answers about the confusing situation.
However, it remains to be seen whether or not other streamers will suffer any consequences similar to those of Harry.