Twitch

Twitch is a video streaming service specializing in computer games, including gameplay broadcasts and esports tournaments.

Audience

2020: In the top 50 largest Internet sites in the world

The largest Internet sites in the world for November 2020

2017: Attendance - 450 million users per month

Twitch's attendance was 450 000 000 users per month as of 2017.

2014: Number of users - 50 million monthly

As of August 2014, 50 million people around the world use the live online broadcasting platform Twitch.tv actively every month.

History

2024:25% of employees laid off due to losses

On January 10, 2024, it became known that the largest game streaming service Twitch, owned by Amazon, is undergoing a reorganization, in which more than a third of employees will be cut. This is due to the deterioration of the financial situation.

According to Bloomberg, citing informed sources, the layoffs will affect approximately 500 people, or about 35% of the state. The restructuring takes place against the background of losses. In addition, several top managers left Twitch in a short period of time. In particular, the company left the director of products, the head of customer service and the director of content. The platform also lost its chief revenue officer.

Twitch holds reorganization

Streaming service executives said the content of the large-scale platform, which produces about 1.8bn hours of live video content a month, is extremely expensive - despite Twitch relying on the infrastructure of Amazon's parent. In December 2023, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy announced that the company would cease operations in South Korea, where costs are "prohibitive." And while Twitch is focusing more on advertising, its business remains unprofitable nine years after the company's acquisition of Amazon.

Since Clancy took over in March 2023, he has launched a massive campaign to strengthen ties with gaming world celebrities who make a living streaming on Twitch. The company has also redesigned its approach to advertising. At the same time, Clancy is actively working to reduce costs. In particular, in 2023, two rounds of layoffs were held, during which the number of personnel decreased by more than 400 people.^[1]

2023: Another fine for refusing to remove fakes about a special operation in Ukraine

On January 31, 2023, the game service Twitch was again fined for refusing to remove fakes about Russia's military special operation in Ukraine. The corresponding decision was made by the magistrate of the judicial district of the Tagansky district of Moscow.

Recognize Twitch Interactive, Inc. guilty of committing an administrative offense under Part 2 of Article 13.41 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation, and appoint him a punishment in the form of an administrative fine in the amount of four million rubles, - announced the decision of the magistrate of the judicial district of the Tagansky district of Moscow Timur Vakhrameev.

A court in Moscow fined Twitch, which did not remove the ether from Arestovich

The reason for the court case was the platform's refusal to remove several videos, including a stream in which ex-adviser to the President of Ukraine Oleksiy Arestovich and former lawyer Mark Feigin, recognized in Russia as a foreign agent, participated.

Earlier, judge Timur Vakhrameev fined Twitch six times for similar offenses for 19 million rubles, but none of the company's representatives appeared at the meeting, RIA Novosti notes.

As noted by State Duma deputy, deputy chairman of the economic policy committee Artem Kiryanov, commenting on the imposition of a fine against Twitch, the Russian authorities do not set themselves the goal of blocking Western online platforms or somehow restricting them, but any companies operating in the country must comply with a single law for everyone. According to the parliamentarian, the dissemination of false information about the special operation carried out by Russia is a manifestation of the deliberate position of the Twitch service directed against our country.

This is far from the first fine, Twitch does not remove fakes at all due to oversight and not by mistake, this is a trend, not an accident, - emphasizes the deputy chairman of the Duma committee on economic policy.

According to Kiryanov, 4 million rubles for a large company are "invisible figures," he believes that in the event that the company openly demonstrates unwillingness to find a common language with the Russian authorities, systematically does not comply with the requirements of the law, it is worth paying attention to the practice of issuing negotiable fines, the amount of which depends on the company's revenue, then this will be a tangible measure.^[2]

2022

Seizure of Twitch and Amazon property due to blocking the profile of a Russian e-sportsman

On November 16, 2022 Arbitration Court Moscow , he arrested the property of an American company Amazon and its streaming platform for Twitch 3 billion rubles as an interim measure in a lawsuit to block the account of e-sportsman Kirill Malofeev, the son of the founder of the holding "." Tsargrad Konstantin Malofeev More. here

A fine of 4 million rubles for fakes about a special operation in Ukraine

On October 4, 2022, a Russian court again fined the Twitch service for fakes about a special operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine. This time the company will have to pay 4 million rubles.

According to Interfax, citing the decision of the World Court of the Tagansky District of Moscow, Twitch was found guilty under Part 2 of Art. 13. 41 Administrative Code of the Russian Federation (non-removal of prohibited content) due to the refusal to remove "inaccurate information aimed at destabilizing the socio-political situation in the country."

The court fined the Twitch service 4 million rubles

As follows from the materials of the case, the reason for the decision was the publication of an interview with Ukrainian politician Alexei Arestovich, ex-lawyer Mark Feigin (recognized as Russia a foreign agent). Roskomnadzor They considered that it contained inaccurate information about the strikes of the Russian Armed Forces on the territory Odessa during a special operation in Ukraine. In addition, Twitch faces two new fines totaling 8 million rubles for refusing to remove inaccurate information about the special operation.

On July 11, 2022, the deputy head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy Anton Gorelkin said that he had applied to Roskomnadzor with a request to give a legal assessment of the company's activities in the Russian Federation. In his opinion, "the American streaming platform Twitch continues to actively participate in the information war against Russia."

In April 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on the prosecutor's office to stop interference in the affairs of the Russian Federation from the outside and prevent the spread of fakes on the Internet.

"More actively it is necessary to fight extremism. It is important to consolidate the positive developments achieved in this direction. Decisively suppress any actions aimed at interfering in the internal affairs of Russia from outside, at destabilizing our society, inciting xenophobia, militant nationalism, interfaith enmity, "the Russian leader said at the time.^[3]

A fine of 2 million rubles for non-elimination of fakes about a special operation in Ukraine

On August 16, 2022, the World Court of the Tagansky District of Moscow fined Twitch 2 million rubles for the fact that the American game streaming service refused to delete fake information about Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.

According to Interfax, Twitch Interactive Inc. was found guilty of failing to remove content subject to removal (part 2 of article 13.41 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation). It is noted that the reason was the refusal of the service to remove a video with inaccurate information about the events in the Ukrainian city of Bucha.

The court fined the game service Twitch for 2 million rubles

Representatives of Twitch said in court that the 31-second video, which became the reason for bringing the service to administrative responsibility, does not contain any factual data either on the actions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation or on a special operation. Defenders of the company asked the court to stop the proceedings.

The fact that Twitch faces a fine in Russia for non-deletion of prohibited information became known on August 12, 2022. Then Roskomnadzor drew up a corresponding protocol regarding the service. The maximum punishment for non-removal of prohibited content is 4 million rubles.

From July 15, 2022, Yandex and Mail.ru search engines, at the request of Roskomnadzor, began labeling Twitch as a violator of Russian law. The reason was the failure of the service to remove illegal information. According to Roskomnadzor, this measure will be valid until the platform completely eliminates violations.

At the end of July 2022, it became known that the FAS could initiate a case against Twitch. The regional public organization "Center for Internet Technologies" made a corresponding request to the department. The reason was the blocking of Russian streamers and the suspension of payments to authors on the cards of Russian banks.^[4]

A fine of 2 million rubles for refusing to localize these Russians

At the end of June 2022, the World Court of the Tagansky District of Moscow fined Twitch for the fact that the game streaming service refused to localize the data of Russians, that is, store them on servers in the Russian Federation.

To recognize Twitch Interactive, Inc guilty of an offense under Part 8 of Article 13.11 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation (failure by the operator when collecting personal data to ensure the recording, systematization, accumulation, storage of personal data of citizens of the Russian Federation using databases located on the territory of the Russian Federation) and impose a fine of 2 million rubles, "the judge announced the decision (quoted by Interfax).

Game streaming service Twitch fined in Russia for refusing to localize data of Russians

At the end of May 2022 Roskomnadzor , he drew up protocols for a number of foreign companies, including Pinterest, which do not comply with the requirements of Russian law and do not localize the databases of Russian users in. Russia The agency previously demanded that a number of foreign companies provide documents confirming that the storage and processing of personal data of Russian users is carried out in the country. Internet companies Airbnb,, Pinterest Likeme,,,, Twitch Apple UPS Google did not provide such data in a timely manner. They were threatened with a fine of up to 6 million rubles.

The law on personal data obliges to store personal data of Russians on the territory of the Russian Federation. The sites of violators, on the basis of a court decision, should be entered by Roskomnadzor into a special register and, in case of refusal to eliminate the violation, be blocked. The law also provides that the department will conduct inspections of companies and, if a violation is detected, will issue an order on the need to eliminate it, for which up to six months are allotted. The law applies to both Russian and foreign companies.^[5]

2014: Amazon Purchase

On August 26, 2014, it was reported that Amazon was buying a Twitch.tv online broadcasting service for $970 million. The deal is scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2014.^[6]

2011: Service Launch Twitch.tv

The Twitch.tv video streaming service was introduced in June 2011 as a spinoff of the streaming platform Justin.tv.

Notes