Amidst the controversy over third-party tracking sites, Twitch will now crackdown on Pokémon GO streamers who use cheats in order to stream. Players who violate the Niantic definition of cheating are violating Twitch’s Rules of Conduct and Terms of Services as well, and the consequences are pretty clear.
Niantic defines cheating as “using modified or unofficial software; playing with multiple accounts; sharing accounts; using tools or techniques to alter or falsify your location; or selling/trading accounts.”
As of August 8th, anyone sharing content that features or promotes cheating in Pokémon GO will receive a strike on their account. We ask that broadcasters take appropriate steps to ensure that their content is not at risk.
Streamers cheat by playing the game on PC through the use of software that “spoofs their GPS,” allowing them to catch Pokémon and interact with the chat from the comfort of their mother’s basement. According to Kotaku, some bold streamers give live cheating tutorials. On Twitch, three strikes against an account equals a ban.
There’s something beautifully ironic about streamers using cheats to maintain a captive audience while sitting around, playing a game designed to get people moving. Hopefully, the subscriber count and flow of tips won’t be worth sticking around and risk getting banned on both Twitch and Pokémon Go.