Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez files measure that would prevent military from using Twitch to recruit

The U.S. military has been using Twitch to recruit.
Photo by Ståle Grut via [NRKbeta](https://www.flickr.com/photos/95021520@N00/32400835237)/CC BY SA 2.0

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) is planning to introduce a measure that would prevent the U.S. Army and other arms of the military from using esports, video games, and streaming websites as tools for recruitment, according to a report by Vice.

Recommended Videos

Ocasio-Cortez’s draft amendment, filed today, would prevent the military from using funds to “maintain a presence on Twitch.com or any video game, e-sports, or live-streaming platform.”

The Army has been under scrutiny for using fake Twitch stream giveaways to attract viewers to fill out recruitment forms. Twitch has since forced the Army to remove such giveaways.

Recently, both the U.S. Army and Navy Twitch channels have also been banning users for mentioning U.S. war crimes.

As Vice notes, the House Appropriations Bill has a long road to being passed in the standard but lengthy process that politics are known for. The U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force all have esports teams that stream on Twitch.

The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University sent a letter to the U.S. Army and Navy Recruiting Commands earlier today demanding they unban all viewers who asked about war crimes. Esports journalist Rod “Slasher” Breslau also reported today that “due to recent media coverage of fake giveaways and potentially unconstitutional bans, the US Army esports team has paused social activity, streaming on Twitch, and official activations with Twitch including participating in upcoming Twitch Rivals events.”


Dot Esports is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more
related content
Read Article ‘The ingenuity of hot tub streamers can’t be stopped’: Community reacts to new Twitch rules
Twitch logo with black censor bar
Read Article Twitch cracks down on ‘butt streamers’ who were streaming on their private parts
Twitch logo with black censor bar
Read Article XQc finally redeems himself in Counter-Strike with stunning Deagle ace
xQc smiling with his thumb up
Related Content
Read Article ‘The ingenuity of hot tub streamers can’t be stopped’: Community reacts to new Twitch rules
Twitch logo with black censor bar
Read Article Twitch cracks down on ‘butt streamers’ who were streaming on their private parts
Twitch logo with black censor bar
Read Article XQc finally redeems himself in Counter-Strike with stunning Deagle ace
xQc smiling with his thumb up
Author
Scott Duwe
Staff Writer & Call of Duty lead. Professional writer for over 10 years. Lover of all things Marvel, Destiny 2, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, and more. Previous bylines include PC Gamer, Red Bull Esports, Fanbyte, and Esports Nation. DogDad to Yogi the Corgi, sports fan (NY Yankees, NY Jets, NY Rangers, NY Knicks), Paramore fanatic, cardio enthusiast.