Twitch Denies Israel Account Block Accusations

Drama

21 October 2024 22:00

Twitch has responded to recent reports claiming it prevented users in Israel from creating accounts, stating that the issue was due to a temporary email verification problem. The platform acknowledged that it disabled email signups in both Israel and Palestine following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorist attack, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities.

“Following the October 7, 2023 attacks, we temporarily disabled sign-ups with email verification in Israel and Palestine,” Twitch's statement reads. “We did this to prevent uploads of graphic material related to the attack and to protect the safety of users.”

Twitch clarified that claims of entirely preventing signups were false, noting that users could still create accounts through phone verification during this period. The company admitted to an oversight in reactivating email verification and apologized for any confusion caused.

“We deeply regret this unacceptable miss, and the confusion it has caused,” Twitch wrote. “We’ve fixed the issue, meaning all affected users can sign up with email verification.”

Tags: Twitch

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