Twitch unveils new ‘Zionist’ hate speech policy after accusations of anti-Semitism

On By Littum

The popular gaming platform Twitch has introduced new rules on the word “Zionist” following allegations of anti-Semitism.

The change comes less than two weeks after a New York congressman accused the Amazon-owned platform of harboring anti-Semitic creators on the video game streaming service.

Zionismbroadly interpreted, refers to the nationalist movement to establish and support a Jewish homeland, a movement that began in its modern form in 19th-century Europe and is today most closely associated with the State of Israel.

Twitch, which receives a estimated 105 million monthly visitorssaid in a blog post that it would allow users to say the term “Zionist” when speaking factually or offering opinions about the movement or its supporters, but not as part of a threat or identity-based attack.

“We treat ‘Zionists’ as a proxy for Jews or Israelis if the word is used in a context to promote harm or violence, or when it is used to make dehumanizing comparisons or perpetuate anti-Semitic stereotypes,” the streamer. wrote.

It added that the hypothetical statement “Zionist settlers continue to encroach on the Palestinian borders” would be allowed, but a comment referring to someone as a “Zionist (animal’s name)” would violate the policy.

Video streaming platform Twitch rolled out new rules around the word 'Zionist'
Video streaming platform Twitch rolled out new rules around the word ‘Zionist’ (AFP via Getty Images)

Rep. Ritchie Torres, a Democrat from New York known for his staunch pro-Israel stances, sent a letter to Twitch on October 29, accusing the streamer of being a “systematically anti-Semitic social media platform,” citing comments he saw as anti-Semitic from Hasan Piker, a popular Twitch political commentator with pro-Palestinian views.

In response to the allegations made by Torres, Piker said he has always opposed anti-Semitism.

“They’re just trying to shut down Twitch in its entirety for the crime of not punishing me,” he told NBC News adds, “You just have to cut things in 15-second intervals about complex geopolitical situations to be like, ‘Look, he means the exact opposite of what he says.’

The policy change at Twitch comes as a number of institutions, both private and public, grapple with how to handle speech issues amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has led to a rise in both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia around the world.

In June, the volunteers who make content decisions on Wikipedia deemed the Anti-Defamation League, a longtime American civil rights organization and extremism watchdog, no longer “generally reliable” as a source of information about anti-Semitism and the Israel-Palestine crisis. The provision came about in part because of the organization views anti-Zionism as inherently anti-Semitic.

In July, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, announced a policy to remove posts with the word “Zionist” if they are associated with other anti-Semitic tropes.

“We have determined that the existing policy guidance does not adequately address the ways in which people use the term ‘Zionist’ online and offline,” Meta said in a blog post.

“Going forward, we will remove content that attacks ‘Zionists’ when it is not explicitly about the political movement, but instead uses anti-Semitic stereotypes or threatens other forms of harm through intimidation or violence directed at Jews or Israelis under the guise of attacking Zionists.”

Human rights activists such as Human Rights Watch have accused Meta of “systemic online censorship“against posts offering legitimate criticism of Israel and its conduct during the conflict with Hamas, which has likely killed tens of thousands of people, predominantly Palestinian women and children.

The Senate is currently considering a bill aimed at preventing anti-Semitism on American college campuses. It passed the House with bipartisan support, with advocates arguing it will allow the Department of Education to better investigate anti-Semitism on campus by enshrining a definition of it in law.

Free speech advocates have warned that it could stifle the First Amendment because the definition of anti-Semitism in question equates a variety of criticisms of Israel with anti-Jewish hatred.

As a movement, Zionism has a diversity of supporters and critics, further complicating efforts to regulate hate speech surrounding the term. Many of the college students who lead pro-Palestinian camps on college campuses across the United States are Jewish, while some of Israel’s strongest Zionist supporters in Washington are evangelical Christians.