Connect with us

Industry

Dr Disrespect Speaks Out For the First Time Since Twitch Ban

Published

on

  • Dr Disrespect, previously one of the most famous streamers on Twitch, spoke out for the first time since he was abruptly banned from the platform permanently last month.
  • In several interviews on Thursday, he addressed what has been going on since the move, but insisted he still does not know why he was banned and has never been told.
  • While he was tight-lipped about his next steps, he did say he has a number of plans in the works but does not want an exclusive streaming deal and has not committed to a platform or service.

Dr Disrespect Speaks Out

In a series of interviews on Thursday, popular former Twitch streamer Dr Disrespect spoke publically for the first time since being permanently banned from the platform nearly three weeks ago.

Guy Beahm, known online as Dr Disrespect was one of the biggest streamers on Twitch with over 4 million followers and had recently signed an exclusive multi-year extension deal to keep streaming on the platform in March.

However, on June 26, it was reported that the prominent streamer had been permanently banned from Twitch. Twitch, for its part, did not confirm the ban but responded with a vague statement to the media.

“As is our process, we take appropriate action when we have evidence that a streamer has acted in violation of our Community Guidelines or Terms of Service,” the company’s statement read. “These apply to all streamers regardless of status or prominence in the community.”

The next day, Dr Disrespect seemed to confirm the rumors in a tweet to his followers, known as the Champions Club.

“Champions Club, Twitch has not notified me on the specific reason behind their decision,” he wrote. “Firm handshakes to all for the support during this difficult time.”

After that, he did not say or post anything for three weeks. Now, Dr Disrespect has finally broken his silence, first giving an interview to the Washington Post and then PC Gamer before speaking to a few other outlets.

Questions About Twitch Ban

While Dr Disrespect did provide some insight into what he has been doing since the ban in the interviews, he did not speak to the reasoning behind it. Though that, at least in part, appears to be for legal reasons. 

According to the Post, when asked about the subject, “he frequently followed advice from his legal counsel to remain silent.” When pressed on the matter in the interview with PC Gamer, which published the full transcript of the conversation, he was interrupted by his publicist, who redirected the question.

However, aside from legal reasons, the streamer also did not provide many answers about what prompted the ban because he still does not seem to know those answers himself.

“Honestly, we just don’t know,” he told the Post. “It was a total shock. Imagine showing up to work and the doors are closed and you can’t get inside. You’re going, ‘What’s going on?’ And you’ve been told you’ve been fired. But you haven’t been told the reason why. We just weren’t given an answer. … It was the worst feeling.”

“I’ve been dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety,” he added. “You know, my wife and I both, this is our livelihood. We worked really hard to get to this point. … Let’s just say I’ve felt all of the emotions that you could possibly feel.”

Notably, in both the interviews with the Post and PC Gamer, Dr Disrespect did address some of the theories around his ban and his last stream. Both noted that there has been a lot of speculation around his final steam, where at the very end he breaks character and becomes very serious. 

“Life’s weird right now, I— We’ll, we’ll get through this, okay? And uh— Fuck,” he said, before cutting the stream.

As a result, many fans theorized that he had just found out about the ban. However, Dr Disrespect told both the Post and PC Gamer that the remarks had nothing to do with his ban and that he was just talking about the state of the world.

In reality, Dr Disrespect explained, he first learned about the ban when he was watching a friend’s stream and noticed that some of his creator features were missing. He sent an email to Twitch, which he said responded by telling him he was banned, but never explained the reason why. 

Past Controversies

Both outlets also talked about the fact that Dr Disrespect has been the subject of several controversies.

Those included offensive jokes he has made in the past, and an incident where he walked into a public men’s bathroom while live streaming at the 2019 E3 gaming convention, which ultimately resulted in him being suspended temporarily from Twitch.

“I’ve been very transparent with those around me and my community,” he told the Post. “If anybody knows the Doctor and who I am, you know, I’ve stepped up and taken full responsibility each and every time. And I’ve learned from those mistakes.”

In more current examples, PC Gamer also pointed to the fact that he has recently had discussions about the coronavirus and conspiracy theories linking it to 5G. In his final stream, he also talked about David Icke, a conspiracy theorist who was recently kicked off both YouTube and Twitter for spreading conspiracies and anti-Semitic claims. 

When asked if those incidents ever resulted in Twitch warning him or saying anything, Dr Disrespect said they had not. PC Gamer followed up by asking if he thought it was the reason for his ban, to which he responded, “I don’t think so. In fact, I—” but he was cut off by his publicist, who warned him that they were “getting really close to dangerous territory here.”

PC Gamer also noted that Twitch has recently been banning a lot of people who have been accused of sexual harassment and other toxic behavior, and asked Dr Disrespected whether he knew if his ban might have been the result of similar allegations.

“Listen, I’m not interested in engaging crazy speculation,” he answered. “I’ve seen all the theories, I’ve seen all the possible conspiracies, and it’s just like, I’m just not interested in engaging that type of stuff. I have a great community of loyal fans and I’m totally focused on getting back and delivering great, entertaining content and that’s where the focus is.”

Next Steps

As for his next steps, Dr Disrespect was largely tight-lipped on that matter as well, though he did offer some insights and told PC Gamer that his relationship with Twitch was 100% over.

“Obviously, for legal counsel, I have to be careful here. But I can say however, that I will not be returning to Twitch, so, I mean, that’s it,” he said, adding that he is considering taking legal action against the platform.

He also told the publication that he is still trying to figure out exactly what his return will look like, and when asked if he is eyeing a specific platform, he said he was not.

“We’re just focused on the Doc’s return,” he said. “We haven’t made any decisions on platforms. We’re not interested in looking for an exclusive or any of that stuff. All the cards are on the table.”

PC Gamer noted that in a follow-up email after the interview, Dr Disrespect  clarified that he is “considering streaming independently on his championsclub.gg website, in addition to other big options like YouTube and Facebook.”

Additionally, in both interviews, Dr Disrespect emphasized the importance of his community and doing what is right for them.

“We’re excited to take the next steps,” he told PC Gamer. “And I’m really focused on the community for now. We’ve got lots of fun stuff planned, lots of projects that are in the works.”

However, when asked about specifics, he responded, “You’re going to have to tune in to find out. That’s part of the fun. I think that’s one of Doc’s things is doing these cool projects and the big surprise elements that are involved. Whether it’s directly through the stream or a combination of social media and the stream but, fans should expect Doc 3.0.”

Though notably, he also did tell the Post that the TV development deal he had landed earlier with SkyBound Entertainment has not been affected by recent events.

“Listen, we’re gonna see,” he continued. “We’ve been working really hard. We’re ready to go. You know, we’re excited to take those next steps.”

Following the widespread coverage of his interviews, Dr Disrespect tweeted for the first time since June 27, sharing a non-descript video set to music.

See what others are saying: (Dextero) (ING) (Forbes)

Industry

Schools Across the U.S. Cancel Classes Friday Over Unverified TikTok Threat

Published

on

Officials in multiple states said they haven’t found any credible threats but are taking additional precautions out of an abundance of safety.


School Cancelled

Schools in no fewer than 10 states either canceled classes or increased their police presence on Friday after a series of TikToks warned of imminent shooting and bombs threats.

Despite that, officials said they found little evidence to suggest the threats are credible. It’s possible no real threat was actually ever made as it’s unclear if the supposed threats originated on TikTok, another social media platform, or elsewhere. 

“We handle even rumored threats with utmost seriousness, which is why we’re working with law enforcement to look into warnings about potential violence at schools even though we have not found evidence of such threats originating or spreading via TikTok,” TikTok’s Communications team tweeted Thursday afternoon. 

Still, given the uptick of school shootings in the U.S. in recent years, many school districts across the country decided to respond to the rumors. According to The Verge, some districts in California, Minnesota, Missouri, and Texas shut down Friday. 

“Based on law enforcement interviews, Little Falls Community Schools was specifically identified in a TikTok post related to this threat,” one school district in Minnesota said in a letter Thursday. “In conversations with local law enforcement, the origins of this threat remain unknown. Therefore, school throughout the district is canceled tomorrow, Friday, December 17.”

In Gilroy, California, one high school that closed its doors Friday said it would reschedule final exams that were expected to take place the same day to January.

According to the Associated Press, several other districts in Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Montana, New York, and Pennsylvania stationed more police officers at their schools Friday.

Viral Misinformation or Legitimate Warnings?

As The Verge notes, “The reports of threats on TikTok may be self-perpetuating.”

For example, many of the videos online may have been created in response to initial warnings as more people hopped onto the trend. Amid school cancellations, videos have continued to sprout up — many awash with both rumors and factual information.

 “I’m scared off my ass, what do I do???”  one TikTok user said in a now-deleted video, according to People. 

“The post is vague and not directed at a specific school, and is circulating around school districts across the country,” Chicago Public Schools said in a letter, though it did not identify any specific post. “Please do not re-share any suspicious or concerning posts on social media.”

According to Dr. Amy Klinger, the director of programs for the nonprofit Educator’s School Safety Network, “This is not 2021 phenomenon.”

Instead, she told The Today Show that her network has been tracking school shooting threats since 2013, and she noted that in recent years, they’ve become more prominent on social media. 

“It’s not just somebody in a classroom of 15 people hearing someone make a threat,” she said. “It’s 15,000 people on social media, because it gets passed around and it becomes larger and larger and larger.”

See what others are saying: (The Verge) (Associated Press) (People)

Continue Reading

Industry

Jake Paul Says He “Can’t Get Cancelled” as a Boxer

Published

on

The controversial YouTuber opened up about what it has been like to go from online fame to professional boxing.


The New Yorker Profiles Jake Paul

YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul talked about his career switch, reputation, and cancel culture in a profile published Monday in The New Yorker. 

While Paul rose to fame as the Internet’s troublemaker, he now spends most of his time in the ring. He told the outlet that one difference between YouTube and boxing is that his often controversial reputation lends better to his new career. 

“One thing that is great about being a fighter is, like, you can’t get cancelled,” Paul said. The profile noted that the sport often rewards and even encourages some degree of bad behavior.

“I’m not a saint,” Paul later continued. “I’m also not a bad guy, but I can very easily play the role.”

Paul also said the other difference between his time online and his time in boxing is the level of work. While he says he trains hard, he confessed that there was something more challenging about making regular YouTube content. 

“Being an influencer was almost harder than being a boxer,” he told The New Yorker. “You wake up in the morning and you’re, like, Damn, I have to create fifteen minutes of amazing content, and I have twelve hours of sunlight.”

Jake Paul Vs. Tommy Fury

The New Yorker profile came just after it was announced over the weekend Paul will be fighting boxer Tommy Fury in an 8-round cruiserweight fight on Showtime in December. 

“It’s time to kiss ur last name and ur family’s boxing legacy goodbye,” Paul tweeted. “DEC 18th I’m changing this wankers name to Tommy Fumbles and celebrating with Tom Brady.”

Both Paul and Fury are undefeated, according to ESPN. Like Paul, Fury has found fame outside of the sport. He has become a reality TV star in the U.K. after appearing on the hit show “Love Island.”

See what others are saying: (The New Yorker) (Dexerto) (ESPN)

Continue Reading

Industry

Hackers Hit Twitch Again, This Time Replacing Backgrounds With Image of Jeff Bezos

Published

on

The hack appears to be a form of trolling, though it’s possible that the infiltrators were able to uncover a security flaw while reviewing Twitch’s newly-leaked source code.


Bezos Prank

Hackers targeted Twitch for a second time this week, but rather than leaking sensitive information, the infiltrators chose to deface the platform on Friday by swapping multiple background images with a photo of former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. 

According to those who saw the replaced images firsthand, the hack appears to have mostly — and possibly only — affected game directory headers. Though the incident appears to be nothing more than a surface-level prank, as Amazon owns Twitch, it could potentially signal greater security flaws. 

For example, it’s possible the hackers could have used leaked internal security data from earlier this week to discover a network vulnerability and sneak into the platform. 

The latest jab at the platforms came after Twitch assured its users it has seen “no indication” that their login credentials were stolen during the first hack. Still, concerns have remained regarding the potential for others to now spot cracks in Twitch’s security systems.

It’s also possible the Bezos hack resulted from what’s known as “cache poisoning,” which, in this case, would refer to a more limited form of hacking that allowed the infiltrators to manipulate similar images all at once. If true, the hackers likely would not have been able to access Twitch’s back end. 

The photo changes only lasted several hours before being returned to their previous conditions. 

First Twitch Hack 

Despite suspicions and concerns, it’s unclear whether the Bezos hack is related to the major leak of Twitch’s internal data that was posted to 4chan on Wednesday.

That leak exposed Twitch’s full source code — including its security tools — as well as data on how much Twitch has individually paid every single streamer on the platform since August 2019. 

It also revealed Amazon’s at least partially developed plans for a cloud-based gaming library, codenamed Vapor, which would directly compete with the massively popular library known as Steam.

Even though Twitch has said its login credentials appear to be secure, it announced Thursday that it has reset all stream keys “out of an abundance of caution.” Users are still being urged to change their passwords and update or implement two-factor authentication if they haven’t already. 

See what others are saying: (The Verge) (Forbes) (CNET)

Continue Reading