Twitch is under scrutiny for supposedly forgetting to re-enable account sign-ups in Israel after "temporarily" suspending them last year, according to a report.
In response to the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, Twitch disabled email sign-ups in Israel and Palestine to prevent the spread of graphic content related to the conflict. The ban was meant to be a temporary act aimed at protecting its users, but it has yet to lift the restrictions as immediate threats have subsided, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Over the last year, users have continuously reported their inability to create accounts, despite Twitch's assurances that phone verification remained available. Users and experts pointed out discrepancies, suggesting that the issue was tied to IP address restrictions rather than email verifications.
Following backlash from frustrated users, Twitch acknowledged the oversight and admitted that it had "inadvertently" failed to restore email verification for Israel-based sign ups.
"Signups were not disabled, and we continued to see sign ups from both regions," the statement on X read. "Users could choose to sign up with phone verification. We've learned that, inadvertently, we did not re-enable email verification sign ups for either region ... We deeply regret this unacceptable miss, and the confusion it has caused. We've fixed the issue, meaning all affected users can sign up with email verification."
The fallout from Twitch's delayed response might influence how content related to geopolitical conflicts in the future.
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