Twitch changes its hateful content policy to include 'Zionist' as potential slur following criticism

Source: NBC News

Nov. 15, 2024, 5:28 PM EST


Twitch has revised its “Hateful Content Policy” to include “Zionist” as a potential slur following mounting criticism over Israel-Gaza war content on the platform. The platform announced the change in a blog post Friday, writing that “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 platform said that, as part of its policy, it prohibits “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.”

The term “Zionism” is often associated with a political movement that begun in the 19th century, prior to the founding of Israel, to create a nation-state for the Jewish people.

“We recognize that ‘Zionist’ and ‘Zionism’ also refer to a political movement,” Twitch wrote in its blog post. “Using the term to refer to the political movement, whether in a supportive or critical way, does not violate our Hateful Conduct policy. Our goal isn’t to stifle conversation about or criticism of an institution or ideology, but to prevent coded hate directed at individuals and groups of people.”

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/twitch-changes-hateful-content-policy-zionist-term-rcna180406