Pokimane has Twitter account locked after surprise DMCA strike

Olivia Richman Published 29/12/2020

It seems that popular content creators don’t only have Twitch to worry about when it comes to bans. 

Top streamer Imane “Pokimane” Anys revealed earlier today that her Twitter account had been locked. According to the streamer, Twitter had sent her a notification that informed her she was locked after the platform received a “compliant Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) Notice.” 

Pokimane claimed that the DMCA was in response to her sharing a TikTok video that used Doja Cat’s song “Say So.” She also noted that it was due to her tweeting “I love girls.” 

Why was Pokimane banned from Twitter?

In screenshots Pokimane shared to her Twitter, it appears that Twitter deleted the tweet with the “Say So” audio as well as the tweet where she simply said, “I love girls.” It’s unclear how that particular tweet went against the platform’s DMCA guidelines. 

Pokimane’s friends quickly came to her defense, seeming to find Twitter’s ruling overly harsh. A Team Liquid coach and LCS analyst jokingly replied, “That’ll teach you.” Another friend from Twitch mocked Twitter by accusing Pokimane of stealing content. 

“Yoink yoink yoink,” Pokimane replied. 

Other fans also seemed confused as to how the “I love girls” tweet would lead to a DMCA strike. Pokimane tagged DMCA in a response, sarcastically stating that they would be hearing from her lawyers. 

But many other Twitter users appeared supportive of Twitter instead of being on Pokimane’s side. They replied that Pokimane clearly didn’t understand DMCA, since “Say So” was a copyrighted song that she had no right to use freely. Some followers pointed out that the “I love girls” tweet included the song in it as well, although it’s unclear from the available screenshots. 

What happens when you get a DMCA notice?

Twitch has recently been under the spotlight as more streamers receive punishment over DMCA claims. Using copyrighted music and other sound clips has resulted in content creators getting strikes against their accounts and sometimes even permanently banned from Twitch. 

What has been the most concerning about the sudden onslaught of strikes has been Twitch’s handling of the policy. Many streamers had to delete VODs and clips from years ago in order to avoid the strikes. Twitch didn’t seem to warn anyone before handing some of these harsh punishments, only adding to the confusion and frustration. 

How many followers does Pokimane have on Twitter?

Pokimane currently has over 2.9 million followers on Twitter. She has 5.6 million on Instagram, where she has over 730 posts. The popular streamer continues to gain fans across all social media platforms thanks to her affable personality and popular streams. 

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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