Twitch details response after Buffalo shooter livestreamed mass shooting
James Batchelor
Editor-in-Chief
Wednesday 18th May 2022
Twitch
Content warning: Article contains references to terror attack, mass shooting and racism
Twitch has released a statement detailing its actions after the gunman behind a mass shooting in the US used the streaming platform to broadcast his crime.
On Saturday, May 14, a man killed 10 people in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. The BBC reports this was a racially-motivated crime, with Buffalo's chief of police telling US media that the gunman planned to "shoot more Black people" after this attack.
The gunman also used his Twitch account to livestream the incident. However, the site claims it was able to identify and remove the stream within less than two minutes and has permanently banned the user.
The company is also "taking all possible action" to stop the footage, and any related content, from spreading on Twitch, with an emphasis on removing accounts or content that rebroadcasts the shooter's video.
In a statement, Twitch reiterated it has a zero-tolerance policy on violence.
"We are heartbroken over this tragedy," the company wrote. "This was a violent act of white supremacy and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms.
"Our hearts go out to all those affected by this hate crime -- the victims, their loved ones, the greater Buffalo community, and the Black community everywhere who are victimised by acts of white supremacy and racism."
Twitch is working with the FBI, Homeland Security and NYPD Cyber Intelligence Unit, as well as other law enforcement divisions, to help the investigation and prosecution following this attack.
The statement continued: "We take our responsibility to protect our community extremely seriously, and trust and safety is a major area of
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