Twitch Has Banned Hasan Piker

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Okay, so I’ve been following this, and it looks like Hasan Piker is speaking out against Twitch’s rules after getting banned – his first ban of the year, actually, in 2026. He’s pretty critical of their policies, and it’s definitely sparked a conversation about how the platform handles content creators.

Hasan Piker’s Twitch channel was temporarily suspended on Thursday, January 29th, around 7pm Pacific Time. This ban occurred while he was discussing the shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, by ICE agents in Minneapolis. The incident is now under federal investigation and has fueled ongoing protests against ICE, making it a frequent topic on Piker’s streams, which generally focus on progressive political views.

Hasan Piker Blames His Latest Twitch Ban on ADL

Twitch generally doesn’t discuss individual bans publicly. They usually send a brief explanation to the affected creator via email, and sometimes those emails are shared online. Recently, streamer Piker posted on Twitter claiming he was banned for calling someone a “Zionist pig.” He also believes the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was responsible, saying they pressured Twitch to make that phrase a bannable offense. However, Twitch’s rules generally don’t prohibit using the word “pig” with other group labels.

Fact-Checking Hasan Piker’s ADL Allegation

On November 15, 2024, Twitch announced it would prohibit the use of the term “Zionist” when used to attack or insult people based on their background or religion, but would still allow it in political discussions. While Twitch hasn’t publicly acknowledged any outside influence on this decision, the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) claimed on Twitter that the platform implemented the change based on their recommendation. The ADL also pointed to streamer Hasan Piker, stating he had frequently used the term negatively without facing repercussions. Given this context, Piker’s claim that the ADL contributed to the policy changes that led to his Twitch ban in January 2026 is potentially believable.

Okay, so everyone’s talking about Hasan Piker’s latest Twitch ban, but nobody seems to know exactly how long it’ll be. From what I understand, Twitch’s rules say using the word “Zionist” alongside language that attacks someone’s humanity can get you a week-long ban if it’s a one-time thing. But if you’ve done it before, they can ban you for longer. Honestly though, I don’t think that’s going to happen here. A lot of creators have pointed out that Twitch often seems to have different rules for big streamers – the ones who bring in tons of viewers. And let’s be real, Hasan is definitely one of those guys, so I’m guessing this won’t be a super harsh penalty.

After being banned from Twitch, Piker quickly started streaming on YouTube and gained over 100,000 viewers in under 30 minutes, making it the platform’s most popular live broadcast at the time. The stream lasted for 18 hours. Many of Piker’s viewers initially believed the ban was related to his coverage of the death of Alex Pretti, a topic that has caused considerable debate in the U.S. recently. This came after several game developers announced they would not attend GDC 2026, citing safety concerns due to increased U.S. immigration enforcement. These comments followed the killing of Pretti, and earlier in January, Renée Nicole Macklin Good, another protester against ICE in Minneapolis, was also killed.

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2026-01-31 18:04