“In line with that approach, starting today, using the term “Zionist” to attack or demean another individual or group of people on the basis of their background or religious belief is against our rules.”
Twitch has updated its “Hateful Conduct Policy” to include “Zionist” as a potential slur, amid growing content critical of Israel on the Amazon-owned platform.
The streaming service announced the change in a blog post on Friday, stating that as part of its policy, “we prohibit the use of terms that may not be harmful or abusive in isolation, but can be used as a slur or to denigrate others in certain contexts.”
Twitch announces they are categorizing the term ‘Zionist’ as a potential slur as part of their Hateful Conduct Policy:
“Using the term ‘Zionist’ to attack or demean another individual or group of people on the basis of their background or religious belief is against our rules.” pic.twitter.com/x0UPyDGCiu
— Pop Base (@PopBase) November 15, 2024
“In line with that approach, starting today, using the term “Zionist” to attack or demean another individual or group of people on the basis of their background or religious belief is against our rules,” the blog stated.
“We recognize that “Zionist” and “Zionism” also refer to a political movement. Using the term to refer to the political movement, whether in a supportive or critical way, does not violate our Hateful Conduct policy,” the statement continued.
Twitch said its “goal” was not to “stifle conversation about or criticism of an institution or ideology, but to prevent coded hate directed at individuals and groups of people.”
By flagging “Zionist” as a slur, Twitch conflates Zionism with Jewish identity, erasing dissent and diversity among Jews.
This stifles criticism of a political ideology during a time in which an ethnic cleansing is being carried out in Zionism’s name. https://t.co/pZodvZQ37M
— Jake Steinberg (@JakeNoseIt) November 15, 2024
The platform emphasized its prohibition of terms that, while not inherently harmful, can be used to denigrate others in specific contexts.
Broader Trend
The policy change follows criticism from figures like US congressman Ritchie Torres and the Anti-Defamation League, who argued that Twitch allowed hate toward Jewish people to persist, the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reported.
Torres, who recently won re-election with significant donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), had accused the platform of failing to curb “antisemitic” content, specifically targeting popular Turkish-American streamer Hasan Piker for his pro-Palestine stance and speaking out against the occupation state, the report added.
Twitch’s policy change is part of a broader trend among social media platforms tightening their content rules around speech when it comes to criticising Israel and condemning the atrocities the US-backed occupation forces are carrying out.
Censorship
In October, it was revealed that Meta’s Israel policy chief advocated for the censorship of Instagram accounts belonging to Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a group that has played a key role in campus protests against Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
Meta’s Israel Policy Chief Pushed for Censorship of Pro-Palestine Accounts – Report
Jordana Cutler, also a former senior Israeli official, “used the company’s content escalation channels” to flag for review at least four SJP posts and other content critical of Israel’s foreign policy for review, The Intercept reported.
Last year, Human Rights Watch reported that Meta systematically censored pro-Palestinian voices on Facebook and Instagram.
(PC, MEMO)
