Why is TwitchCon uniquely unsafe for streamers?

It seems like every year at TwitchCon, something goes seriously wrong.

In 2022, A.J Foam pit disaster One attendee was left with a broken back. In 2024, Kick’s streamers harassed Twitch partners live in the conference room. stories Stalking, Gropingand Inadequate on-site response Not uncommon.

Major creators, including Valkyrae, QTCinderella, Hasan Piker, Disguised Toast, and Yvonnie, have all publicly chosen not to attend in 2025, due to safety concerns.

And this year, Amiro A Streamer with nearly two million followersHe was Assaulting her while meeting her On the first day of TwitchCon 2025 in San Diego. Her attacker crossed several barriers, grabbed her face, and tried to kiss her before her security intervened. She says TwitchCon security is nowhere to be found. Twitch’s official response It was a lengthy post on X describing how the “safety and security of all attendees” was the “top priority” for the event.

“Twitch has zero tolerance for harassment or actions that inhibit the safety and security of our community,” the post read.

In a Share on XAmero said she was “hurt and disturbed by the way Twitch handled the matter during and after the incident.” She stressed that it was her staff — not event security — who intervened, and that nearby TwitchCon staff “did not react or allow the man to walk away.”

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“The woman who turned me away was my personal manager, and behind the booth, the only people who were checking on me and comforting me were her and my friend,” she wrote. “No TwitchCon staff came to ask me what happened or if I was okay.”

After the clip of the assault went viral on social media, Twitch claimed that the man was immediately removed and permanently banned from the platform and future events. Amiro described this as a “blatant lie.” (Mashable reached out to Twitch about its approach to meet-and-greets more broadly, and whether there are plans to change or adapt it for future in-person events after this year’s incident.)

“He was allowed to walk away from the meet and greet,” she wrote. “I didn’t hear he’d been arrested until hours later – and I felt like it only happened because my boss pushed for it.”

She said this was her last TwitchCon.

“I did not feel cared for or protected, even bringing my own security and staff,” she wrote. “I can’t imagine how creators would feel without these options.”

Her statement echoed what has become a growing chorus: TwitchCon is not safe for streamers.

This does not happen in other agreements

At other massive fan events — like San Diego Comic-Con, held in the same San Diego Convention Center, or VidCon — the system was clear: Celebrities here, fans there, and there are physical barriers, staff, and barriers in between. These measures are not perfect, but they are consistent. The structure of these events is based on a basic understanding: people who attract millions of viewers online need protection in the real world offline.

As creators began comparing their experiences at TwitchCon to those at other conferences, a clear gap emerged in how safety was handled.

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Jessica White, Twitch Partner and Gamer, Subscribed to X That at PAX — a different gaming conference — a chat member found out she was in attendance, flew to Melbourne, and “waited all day outside the gate to find me.” She said that he cornered her, confessed his love, and harassed her. After I escaped and informed the PAX staff, the response was quick.

“They were incredibly responsive and took it seriously,” White wrote. “Because of their seriousness, I was only at PAX for one hour to do brand work. The head of security introduced himself and put three guards next to me for an hour. They obviously didn’t know what he looked like, so they were monitoring everyone who came to meet me.”

Other creators pointed out how helpful and thoughtful it was Security was at other GamerSupps Events like Anime Expo in Los Angeles and Other negatives.

Meanwhile, TwitchCon hasn’t quite found that rhythm. Streamers roam the exhibit hall, film live content (known as IRL streaming), and interact with fans in real time — often without an escort, dedicated security, or even visible supervision from staff. The same accessibility that makes Twitch feel authentic online makes TwitchCon feel alarmingly exposed in person.

“TwitchCon, you failed Emiru. You failed the female creators and attendees.” one fan wrote on X. “Within a few hours, you’ve shown your anti-social fans that you’ve created an environment where [violence and violation] maybe. While the public denounces this and demands reform, there are those who watch this and see it as possible – and perhaps plan to do something similar, or worse, to other females before the hoax is over.

Are parasocial relationships to blame?

Partially, yes. Live streaming thrives on parasocial intimacy, or the illusion of friendship between creator and viewer. Unlike most YouTubers who attend VidCon or celebrities who attend Comic-Con, Twitch streamers live stream for hours a day, respond to chat messages in real time, and create the sense of a two-way relationship. For some viewers, the line between “I support you” and “I know you” dissolves completely. This emotional closeness can turn into entitlement when fans meet creators in real life.

For streamers, the risks are doubled because they are expected to be friendly. Hugging fans, chatting off-camera, walking on the floor — these gestures are part of the culture that Twitch has built and monetized. The company has long marketed TwitchCon as a celebration of the IRL community, but hasn’t built the infrastructure to make that community safe when it becomes a reality.

The parasocial problem does not end at the doors of the place. Many streamers have stalkers who track their locations online or via live stream. In March, while livestreaming in Santa Monica with streamers Cinna and Valkyrae, a man reportedly threatened to kill Amero, according to a report. Report from BBC. Other creators have been bullied or harassed mid-stream. When these threats follow them to a physical event where everyone knows exactly where they are, the community is exposed.

Twitch CEO Dan Clancy seems to believe that some of the problems are due to anti-social relationships online, and creators themselves seem to have some responsibility to their fans.

Of course, Twitch has implemented safety measures on its site, but this often overshadows the safety measures needed at an event like TwitchCon. An attendee asked Clancy about safety in a Q&A on the final day of TwitchCon. The audience applauded the question, but not the answer. This is what he said:

They’re really two separate problems, so I’ll talk briefly about them first [safety at TwitchCon]: It’s something we spend a lot of time on. Obviously there are shortcomings and part of it is responding in very specific ways and we did that here in response to what happened, so we need to continue to do that.

Online, I think that’s an area that we’ve been investing in for some time. It’s an area we need to continue investing in. I think many people who use a lot of our tools understand how useful the tools can be for their protection. I think live streaming offers some advantages in terms of being able to control your community, but it’s still an issue that people of all sizes face — it’s not just women, of course, who face the challenge, but also underrepresented groups that often face the problem of online harassment.

This is something we care deeply about, and we’re always looking at how we can continue to invest to help protect creators on their journey.

Clancy also said during Interview with journalist Taylor Lorenz The challenge they face today “is a challenge in today’s society, and it’s not limited to Twitch.”

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I think when you’re live streaming, in a lot of ways — since you control your community and you can block people — you can make it so that people you don’t want to interact with and engage with you aren’t there. It’s completely different when I use other short form content and people say all kinds of things. Well, I can’t stop it. But when I’m live streaming, they basically don’t bother me.

Now what happened? [to Emiru] Obviously, yesterday was something we cared deeply about. We look closely at everything that happens there, and I care deeply about it [Emiru] — she’s a friend of mine — so I want to see how we can support her in doing that. But this is just something we can continue to work on.

I think everyone considers our tools, in terms of trust and security, to be leaders in the space for helping creative people, but that means there’s always more work to be done, because that’s the world we live in now.

The truth is that even if you do a lot in terms of security, in today’s world there are challenges that can present themselves, especially when someone puts themselves at risk. We try to work closely with each creator about what they want to do and what works for them, so I don’t want to get into any details or details. But part of that is working with creators… Right now, we’re definitely ramping up the work to make sure that creators know that we have the resources to help them discover what’s right for them.

Why can’t TwitchCon do it right?

This year’s conference had great security. You had to go through security to get to the convention center, including metal detectors, and backpacks were not allowed. You had to scan your wristband to access additional entry points. As Twitch wrote before the hoaxThere were “multiple layers of protection, with visible and behind-the-scenes measures in place.”

“While we do not disclose some security details to maintain the integrity of our operations, attendees can expect to see an armed presence, uniformed law enforcement, and other security personnel throughout the venue, including plainclothes personnel,” Twitch wrote.

However, no one stopped the intruder from attacking Emiru.

TwitchCon continues to make safety mistakes because the event is designed around access, not security. Its identity is built on proximity. Tighter security means restricting this access.

And for some, like streamer FanFan, this extra security doesn’t necessarily mean security. She rejected the protection offered by Twitch, saying she preferred to move independently during the conference. “I don’t like to be hovered around,” she told Mashable. “Yesterday, they assigned me personal security, and I had to beg them to let him leave. I don’t like to feel like I’m being watched or that I need to be watched – that if I’m going somewhere, I have to check in. And I wasn’t allowed to walk back to the hotel. I had to take the private car, and I didn’t want to take the private car. I just wanted to walk. I was on edge yesterday.”

Instead, she carries what she calls her own essentials while streaming IRL: “I have pepper spray, a taser, and a rape whistle. That’s all I need. I don’t really do anything.” [special] To keep me safe. “I trust that my audience will not be strange.”

FanFan’s choice points to a larger irony: Twitch can’t easily fix security without redefining what access and autonomy actually mean on its platform. Until then, TwitchCon’s security will continue to feel reactive, rather than preventative — and more prominent streamers may continue to opt out.

Additional reporting by Crystal Bell.