Twitch streamer and GTA V role player ‘Spekel’ doxxed a donator during a live stream in late April, after interpreting their donation message as a death threat – and now, she has finally answered for the incident.
According to a Tweet published by Spekel on May 3, she has received a 30-day ban for the offense, apologizing for her actions and thanking her fans for their continued support.
“…I heard back from Twitch and I will be doing my punishment for fucking up for 30 days,” Spekel wrote of the incident. “I appreciate the support people have shown me and we will come back stronger than ever. Sorry I let you guys down.”
Hey guys a heads up. I heard back from twitch and I will be doing my punishment for fucking up for 30 days. I appreciate the support people have shown me and we will come back stronger than ever. Sorry I let you guys down.
— Spekel (@Spekel_Anna) May 3, 2019
While some commenters felt that her ban was “fully deserved,” others made sure to show their support and sympathy, encouraging her to “bounce back” after her time away from the site is complete.
The story behind Spekel’s 30-day Twitch ban
Spekel’s ban comes nearly ten days after she doxxed a viewer for their donation message, which she interpreted as a purported death threat.
While the VOD in question has since been deleted, Reddit commenters cited the original donation as reading, “Guess you should get shot when you step foot on someone else’s property.”
Should be permanent.
— Max (@Max_XBL) May 4, 2019
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You didn’t let anyone down, people make mistakes. What matters most is what you do going forward, and I look forward to your return!
— Dagster007 (@dagster007) May 4, 2019
Spekel took offense to this message and went on to release the commenter’s full name and email address in response to the alleged threat – which was quickly revealed as a reference her actions in-game, instead.
“Not a death threat,” the donator responded in another message. “Spin it how you’d like. Referring to your actions in-game.”
However, this explanation didn’t appease Spekel in the slightest, who replied to the message by saying, “You might want to be a little clearer about that, because you’re acting a little psycho man. …If he’s going to try and make me feel intimidated with a little rant about a fucking video game, he deserves to be doxxed.”
Spekel apologizes for the doxxing debacle
Spekel went on to issue an apology shortly afterwards via Twitter, claiming that she was “shocked and angry” and that she “didn’t expect it to go this way, at all.”
I would like to say that i am deeply sorry about how i reacted to what i thought was a death threat. At the time I did this i didn’t expect it to go this way at all, i was shocked and angry. I have upset a lot of people regarding this incident and i apologize again for any harm.
— Spekel (@Spekel_Anna) April 24, 2019
Spekel’s 30-day ban follows the ban of two Twitch artists on May 2, who received mass backlash after bullying a fellow artist during a live broadcast, calling her a “piece of trash” and insulting her for being “autistic.”