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Popular Twitch streamer "Knut" Spildrejorde was banned from the platform two days after a clip of him reading chat and driving distractedly went viral on social media. The video went viral at the end of December, with many viewers calling out Twitch for not enforcing a ban as per their terms of service policy that prevents creators from endangering themselves on camera.
While it did take the Amazon-owned platform to administer a penalty, people have welcomed the ban after it was first reported by the popular StreamerBans bot on X (formerly Twitter).
"IRL the most difficult game on Twitch": Viewers react as Knut gets banned from Twitch
As per the current rules laid down by Twitch, "dangerous or distracted driving" is considered a bannable offense under Self-Destructive Behavior in the Community Guidelines. In a list of things that creators are warned not to show or promote, it states:
"Dangerous or distracted driving, including using a phone while driving and driving under the influence"
Knut, who garnered a widespread following after his popular gym streams with the OTK group back in 2022, was accused by many viewers of doing exactly that a few days ago. Here is a clip of the incident, which many believe triggered the ban. Readers should note Twitch does not announce reasons for suspensions.
In the clip above, Knut can be seen looking away from the road occasionally while driving to interact with the chat. Distracted driving is quite dangerous, and this is not the first time a Twitch streamer has been penalized for doing it. While the IRL streamer did not hurt anyone, a major incident occurred back in February of 2023 when a Polish streamer ran over a dog while driving on camera. She was suspended from the platform soon after and started streaming on Kick.
While Knut's ban was welcomed by many viewers, some have protested Twitch's decision, with a few even comparing looking at the phone with looking at the GPS. Here are some of the reactions to StreamerBans' post on X:
OTK member Tectone also reacted to the news on his stream, calling Knut up immediately, after which he seemingly confirmed that the ban was due to the incident while driving.
Some have compared the Norwegian's suspension to that of another OTK member's. Popular IRL creator ExtraEmily was hit with a similar ban a few months ago after she garnered a lot of backlash for distracted driving on camera, with many pointing out that the practice was not only for dangerous the driver but also for the people around them.
