A Twitch streamer named JapImport found himself permanently barred from the platform just two days after applying for partnership due to his “offensive username.”
For those not interested in gaming. The term “Jap Import” is relatively common, especially within retro gaming. It simply means a game that has been imported from Japan. You will hear terms like, “Euro Import” and “USA import” depending on where you live in the world. It certainly doesn’t have to do anything with offending anyone.
In February 2022, Twitch introduced an update to their community guidelines that introduced regulations pertaining to “inappropriate usernames.”
These revised guidelines had an impact on various prominent streamers, including Dantes, a League of Legends streamer who had previously been known as Doaenel prior to the guideline modification.
JapImport, a Twitch streamer, submitted a partnership application on October 10 but faced a permanent ban merely two days later due to his chosen username.
Following the ban, JapImport turned to Twitter/X to seek assistance, stating, “This is not good… Can someone lend me a hand? I’ve used this username for around 6 years without any prior warnings.”
He shared a screenshot in his post, revealing that Twitch had suspended his channel due to having a “Hateful Username or Display Name.”
In an attempt to overturn the ban, JapImport appealed, only to be informed that due to the seriousness of the enforcement against his account, they were unable to facilitate a username change.
Expressing his frustration with the platform, he referred to the entire incident as “outrageous.”
“Well, I don’t know what to do. I’ve heard stories of Twitch issues before, but this just seems incredibly unfair. No one cared until I applied for partnership, and then I’m instantly banned with no prior warning or opportunity to change my username,” he remarked.
“I’m stuck in limbo, and I really don’t want to start over from scratch. It just seems harsh to make me do that seemingly without any reason. If you’re okay with me creating a new account, why not allow me to change my name? I’d prefer to just be permanently banned.”
In an email sent to JapImport, Twitch informed him that he was “welcome to create or use another account on [Twitch], but any further violations of Terms of Service or Community Guidelines may result in an indefinite suspension.”
However, in accordance with Twitch’s Community Guidelines for evading suspensions, this option was not viable.
“Any attempt to evade an account suspension or chat restriction by using alternative accounts, identities, or by appearing on another user’s account will also lead to additional actions taken against your accounts, potentially resulting in an indefinite suspension,” the guidelines state.
