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Twitch tells the US Army to cut out the fake giveawaysGamepad? What gamepad?
Gamepad? What gamepad?
Let’s be frank - the US Army’s presence on Twitch is a recruitment ploy in and of itself. Chummy military folks hop into a game likeCall Of Duty: Warzone, hang out with chat, maybe let slip a few words on just how great the Army has been to them. It’s a new ground for the service to get in contact with impressionable young’uns - one that leverages parasocial relationships between viewer and streamer as a way to sell military service.
Speaking to Kotaku, a Twitch spokesperson said that the Army has been told to stop this practice immediately. “Per our Terms of Service, promotions on Twitch must comply with all applicable laws,” the spokesperson told Kotaku, via email. “This promotion did not comply with our Terms, and we have required them to remove it.”
This isn’t the first time the US Army’s streaming practices have come under fire, mind. Soon after launching the channel, they were found to be aggressively banning viewers whoraised the US military’s history of war crimes- an act that ACLU lawyers later told Vice mayviolate their first amendment rights.
“Calling out the government’s war crimes isn’t harassment, it’s speaking truth to power,” the ACLU noted onTwitter. “Banning users who ask important questions isn’t ‘flexing,’ it’s unconstitutional.”
At a stretch, Twitch’s actions could also be read as “speaking truth to power” - particularly in the wake of theirsuspension of Donald Trump’s channel for hateful conduct. But it’s worth noting that the military has a tight relationship with the platform. Kotaku goes on to explain that America’s armed forces are official sponsors of the Twitch Rivals esports brand, with commentators that will “periodically shout out” the Army on-stream.
Twitch might not mind the Army using their platform as a recruitment base. They’ll just ask that they be a bit less crass about the whole thing.
