news 4 days ago

AP Explains: Meet Twitch, Amazon's live-streaming video site

The Associated Press — By RACHEL LERMAN - AP Technology Writer


Here's what you need to know about Twitch.


Twitch is a site where people can livestream video games as they're playing, usually providing tips and commentary while others watch. The platform has boomed in popularity over the last few years, and played a key role in boosting the spread of "esports," or competitive video gaming.



The German shooting may have been the first real-world violent attack livestreamed on Twitch. The company said it found and took down the video with "urgency" and said it was "shocked and saddened by the tragedy." But the video, which has since spread to other corners of the internet, is reportedly 36 minutes long.




It's hard to guess why Twitch was chosen this time, said Hannah Bloch-Wehba, a law professor at Drexel University. She noted it is possible that Twitter and Facebook's attempt to crack down on such material may be discouraging people from trying to stream violence there.



"Companies definitely need better legal incentives to police their platforms from abuse," he said.

Twitch said it found evidence the video was shared in messaging services outside the platform. It shared a copy, or "hash," of the video with other tech companies so they could try to halt the spread of copies on their own sites.



It also has drawn competitors such as Microsoft-owned Mixer and Google-owned YouTube, which have angled for a slice of that business. Mixer even poached one of Twitch's star gamers , a Fortnite player known as Ninja, in August.