Recently, clips surfaced on social media showing Emiru, a popular streamer and cosplayer, being forcefully assaulted by a man at TwitchCon in San Diego. The content creator was approached by a man who grabbed her in an embrace and seemed to try to kiss her. In the clips that emerged, we saw a woeful response from event security, and in the days that followed, Twitch failed to address the incident.
Now, in a lengthy post, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy has written about the incident involving Emiru and has stressed what is being done to improve things moving forward.
‘It Means a Lot to Us’
Dan Clancy’s response to the Emiru assault situation was lengthy, but fans and other creators have already batted the statement down and attempted to kick back the ‘apology’:
First, I want to be upfront and take accountability for the security incident that occurred during Emiru’s Meet and Greet. It shouldn’t have happened and we take that very seriously. We failed, both in allowing it to occur, and in our response following. We mismanaged our communications about the incident, and that includes the comments I made. I apologize to Emiru for all that took place.
What are we doing moving forward? For Meet and Greets, we’ve begun a complete analysis of the incident that took place, as well as other issues that came to our attention after TwitchCon concluded. We’re examining everything, from how we do sign ups, to the layout, to increased security controls.
We’re also doing a comprehensive review of overall event safety and security, and will be making updates for future TwitchCons. While we won’t be sharing all security updates for privacy and safety reasons, we will keep our community informed about changes that directly impact attendees.
We have heard concerns about IRL streaming at TwitchCon. Twitch has evolved over the years, and IRL streaming is a part of Twitch. But, we need to ensure that TwitchCon meets the needs of a variety of participants. We will be reviewing how we handle IRL streaming at TwitchCon, and will have more to share soon.
Finally, we got clear feedback on accessibility across the event. We’re reviewing with our teams, including our production and venue staff, so that we’re better equipped for future events.
You put a lot of trust in us by attending TwitchCon, and we take our responsibility to keep you safe seriously. We know that TwitchCon means a lot to a lot of people, and it means a lot to us. Be on the lookout for more updates, and thanks for being a part of Twitch.
– Dan Clancy
Users were quick to jump on Dan Clancy’s comments under the post on X (formerly Twitter), with some pointing out how much of a holistic failure TwitchCon was (and will likely continue to be).
One streamer wrote, ‘I must pathetically claim that I am EMBARRASSED to be a Twitch streamer.’ Another was quick to point out similar failings from Twitch: ‘And you’re only saying this because Emi’s a big streamer and there are a lot of eyes on this. How many smaller streamers have dealt with similar or worse but have had their complaints swept under the rug?’
Do you think Twitch needs to do better, or is this par for the course for the platform? Let me know what you’re thinking on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Raven admitted Warzone is getting stale
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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