Twitch bans are rather regular, with numerous streamers occasionally getting put in the timeout box. However, while slaps on the wrist are common, indefinite suspensions do not occur often. Dan Saltman, a prominent figure in the online streaming community and political streamer, has found himself on the wrong side of Twitch’s rulebook.
As usual, this ban sparked some conversations about the platform’s moderation policies. Saltman is known for his controversial views, particularly regarding antisemitism on the platform. In recent weeks, Dan had pointed the finger at Twitch and accused it of being complicit in antisemitism, so Twitch dropping the hammer on him is not entirely surprising.
Related
Twitch Streamer Has Been Live for Over 3 Years
Kai Cenat and Benny Blanco discover and meet a Twitch streamer who has been live nonstop since November 2021, marking a three-year streak.
The Details Behind Dan “Dancanstream” Saltman’s Ban
On the 21st of November, 2024, Dan Saltman announced that he had been indefinitely suspended (otherwise known as permabanned) from Twitch on X, formerly Twitter. He expressed little surprise at the ban, suggesting that he had long anticipated the consequences of his not-so-subtle criticisms. In the tweet, which he published in the early hours of the same day, he claimed he was in the process of deleting his account and had put in a data request in preparation when the ban hit.
“It seems that someone was definitely watching my account like a hawk,” were his words on the issue, insinuating the ban’s timing was more than a coincidence. His tweet also featured a screenshot of an email from Twitch, which cited Extreme Harassment as the reason for his indefinite suspension. The third point was of particular interest, which stated “Devoting your stream towards maliciously raiding and harassing others” as an example of violative conduct.
Saltman’s Long-Running Criticisms Of Twitch May Have Informed the Ban
Saltman has been an outspoken critic of Twitch concerning its handling of sensitive content from creators. Hasan “HassanAbi” Piker is one such example, whom Saltman accuses of promoting anti-Israel sentiment without facing adequate repercussions from the platform. His criticisms have extended to urging advertisers to reconsider their support for Twitch, alleging that the platform harbors antisemitic tendencies.
Since then, an exposé by journalist Richard Lewis revealed that about 11 agencies had suspended their advertising programs on Twitch, according to an insider source. There was also the incident earlier this year when Dan Saltman and Destiny insinuated that Twitch had intentionally prevented new users from Israel from signing up. However, the platform stated that it was an unfortunate error in an apology statement after resolving the issue.
Saltman is also very vocal about his criticisms of Twitch CEO, Dan Clancy, and has called for him to step down numerous times. He has also promoted danclancysucks.com, a parody website aimed at “exposing” Dan Clancy and Twitch’s subtle enabling of anti-semitism. Even after the update to the Twitch Terms of Service, which classifies the term “Zionist” as a slur and a bannable offense, Saltman insisted the platform handled this in an incompetent manner and that no Jew wanted a ban put in place.
The Ban Throws a Wrench into Dan Saltman and Asmongold’s Interview Plans
Despite Dan’s constant criticisms, there are still some more Twitch accusations he has yet to reveal. Fellow streamer Asmongold was set to interview Dan Saltman on a livestream to seemingly “expose” Twitch, but with this ban in place, it is highly unlikely they will be able to go forward with their plan. Saltman also believes that his Twitch suspension was to keep him from speaking with other creators (Asmongold) on stream, as it is probably against the rules to go on a live stream with a suspended streamer.
However, Asmongold had previously stated earlier this month that he has no issues moving to Kick or Rumble if Twitch were to punish him inappropriately, so there is a possibility they would host the live stream on another platform instead. It is important to note that there has not been any information on their plans, but either way, the streaming world has likely not seen the last of Dan Saltman.