Summary
- Twitch banned Tubbo due to a DMCA strike for streaming F1 British Grand Prix.
- According to Tubbo, he had permission to stream the race.
- Tubbo's ban duration is unclear, and he may file a counterclaim to restore his account.
Twitch streamer Tubbo has been banned following a DMCA strike, after livestreaming the Formula 1 British Grand Prix. A number of big name Twitch streamers have been hit with channel bans in recent weeks, sparking discussions over the account suspension system on the major streaming service.
Tubbo has established himself as a prominent streamer, garnering over five million Twitch followers prior to his ban by drawing in fans to watch him play Minecraft and broadcast his daily life. However, the complex DMCA takedown policy on Twitch has hit the streamer hard, leaving him with a suspended account.
Twitch Has Banned Nickmercs
Leading streaming platform Twitch bans popular streamer Nick Kolcheff, known professionally as Nickmercs, for the first time in his career.
Just two hours after starting up a livestream of the F1 British Grand Prix, Tubbo's Twitch channel went down. Shortly after, he confirmed that he had received a DMCA notice, though he claimed that he had received permission from Formula 1 to stream the race, leading to confusion for the streamer and his audience. Tubbo has further stated that "the ban has no duration," meaning it is unknown how long his channel will be down for. If Tubbo did have an agreement with F1 to broadcast the race via his Twitch channel, then he will be able to file a counterclaim against the DMCA takedown in the hopes of restoring his account. However, it remains unknown if Tubbo has filed such a claim and if it will be approved by Twitch. Tubbo ranks among the most-watched Twitch streamers, leaving many hoping for a quick restoration of his channel.
Twitch Has Banned Tubbo
Tubbo is just one of many top Twitch streamers to be banned recently, though others have seen their channels taken down for more serious infractions. Nickmercs saw his Twitch account banned following his use of a transphobic slur during a stream, while Stableronaldo received a ban for reckless driving in a live clip. The most widely talked about channel shutdown has been the Twitch ban of Dr Disrespect, with fresh allegations regarding the cause of his 2020 ban spurring on major conversations on the necessity of both temporary and permanent bans.
As spectators continue to discuss a need to better balance the Twitch ban system based on the severity of violations, many streamers are left to choose between the variety of livestreaming platforms. While some are forced to move elsewhere after permanent bans, others are merely looking to keep their communities engaged while less severe infractions get sorted out. Whether Tubbo will get his Twitch channel unbanned remains to be seen, but many of his community members and fellow streamers are keeping a close eye on the unexpected situation.