5 most controversial Twitch bans of 2023

Twitch is well-known for its strict rules and policies and does not shy away from handing streamers a ban in case they do not adhere to the guidelines. In some cases, these bans are well-meant, logical responses to rule violations that may harm the community. However, sometimes, the decisions of Twitch moderators come under scrutiny for their controversial nature and divide the Twitch community.

Controversies often arise when bans are perceived as inconsistent or biased, leading to accusations of favoritism or unfair treatment. Streamers frequently seem to find themselves at a crossroads with Twitch, with the live streaming service often prioritizing platform policies over the individual circumstances of the streamer.

This can create tension and frustration within the community, as streamers may feel that their voices and concerns are not being heard or addressed adequately. Additionally, the lack of transparency in the decision-making process can further fuel these controversies, leaving room for speculation and distrust among Twitch users.

In the past year, many big names like PewDiePie, AdinRoss, and KaiCenat have found themselves at odds with Twitch and its content policies. This article will delve into five controversial Twitch bans of the year 2023.

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Five controversial bans in 2023 that left the Twitch community divided

1) Amouranth

The ASMR streamer has run into trouble with Twitch guidelines repeatedly. (Image via amouranthofficial/Instagram)

Twitch ASMR streamer Kaitlyn "Amouranth" received yet another ban on July 18, 2023, increasing the tally to a whopping seven times in total. She has been in murky waters in the past for her s*xually suggestive content, subsequently sparking fervent debates regarding what can be worn on stream.

In her most recent incident, she was banned soon after signing her ground-breaking deal with the rival streaming platform, Kick. The proximity of these events had many speculating that the deal itself may have caused the ban. However, many users figured that it was instead caused by a wardrobe malfunction. The streamer was unbanned after a day, on July 19.

This caused many Reddit users to mock Twitch's rule enforcement, stating that they should stop calling it a ban and should call it a suspension instead.

Comment byu/CallMeInfinitay from discussion inLivestreamFail

On the other hand, some users came to her defense and pointed out how the bans received by the streamer were spread out over a lengthy four-year period. They stated how if the number of bans were considered, most big streamers like xQc would have been permanently banned.

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2) PewDiePie

PewDiePie's ingenious idea may have led to him being banned. (Image via pewdiepie/Instagram)

YouTube's legend Felix "PewDiePie" was mysteriously banned from the platform after starting his "infinity stream". The infinity stream is a non-stop stream of PewDiePie videos over the years. Many netizens termed the stream an "infinite money glitch."

However, the Swede's channel ended up getting hit with a ban not only once but twice. The stream was terminated, and the channel was banned under inexplicable circumstances. Since no official reason was provided by the platform, the YouTuber initially speculated that it must have been due to one of his older, coarser, less censored content.

However, a Reddit user pointed out possible copyright infringement issues while the stream was broadcasting a rerun of the Adventure Time mobile game.

Fans speculated the reason why PewDiePie's channel faced yet another ban. (Image via LivestreamFail/Reddit)

In both cases, the ban was lifted after three days, with the "infinity stream" continuing as of October 29, 2023.

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3) AdinRoss

The controversial Twitch streamer has been permanently banned from the platform. (Image via adinross/Instagram)

Controversial Kick streamer Adin Ross was permanently banned from streaming on Twitch in February 2023. This was his eighth ban in over three years. His rule-bending behavior has put him in Twitch's bad graces time and time again. In typical fashion, the platform did not release any official statement regarding the reason for the ban, leaving many netizens to make up their theories.

However, Adin appeared on the Full Send Podcast and talked about the reason for his ban. He stated that he had already signed a deal with Kick, a rival live-streaming platform with relatively relaxed moderation.

According to him, the ban was due to the presence of a chat box from his live stream on Kick, wherein users were writing slurs that were not acceptable as per the platform's guidelines. He also claimed that he had received a call from one of Twitch's executives, threatening to ban his channel if no significant changes were made to his content.

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4) KaiCenat

The famous W/L community star has also been on the receiving end of Twitch moderation. (Image via kaicenat/Instagram)

Twitch superstar Kai Cenat was banned twice this year. Having been banned five times now, the American streamer landed in trouble in January when he was seemingly banned for passing out after consumption of edibles. Since no official reason was provided, this violation of the platform's narcotic use policy was considered the leading cause by fans of the streamer.

The next ban came in April 2023, as he was streaming himself playing the Rockstar Studios title, Grand Theft Auto V. The platform cited the reason for the ban as "repeated explicit simulated activity" while in the game. He has repeatedly talked about his perception of the bans in the past as being caused due to his race.

He was unbanned after a week and continues to stream today, with his latest project being "Seven Days in", where he spends seven days in a simulated jail environment.

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5) KiaraaKitty

Cheng has been banned a whopping eight times in total. (Image via KiaaraKitty/Instagram)

Cheng "KiaraaKitty" has found herself on the receiving end of bans a whopping eight times, more than most streamers on the site. She was banned five times in 2023 itself, with the latest one coming on October 27. However, most of them were unbanned shortly after.

She rarely comments on any of her bans, but Twitch netizens have speculated in the past that this may be due to the s*xually suggestive nature of her content, which violates the platform's policies.

Comment byu/ADHD_MAN from discussion inLivestreamFail

Her repeated bans have yet to lead to a permanent one, which has raised eyebrows. Many Reddit users speculated the biases of Twitch moderation towards certain streamers, with some receiving leniency in terms of the number of times they can be temporarily banned before it becomes permanent.