The Explosive Controversy Surrounding Twitch Rival Kick
Kick, the Twitch competitor launched in December 2022, has sparked tremendous controversy due to numerous concerning aspects, raising red flags among users and industry experts alike
Highlights
The platform Kick, established by Bijan Tehrani, Ed Craven, and Trainwreckstv, has garnered significant interest. Nevertheless, opinions about its superiority remain divided, primarily stemming from discussions surrounding its streaming content, controversial categories, and the founders themselves.
The appeal of multi-million dollar contracts has enticed prominent streamers to join Kick, despite some individuals openly expressing reservations about joining the platform due to its problems. Kick has faced controversies involving controversial internet personalities such as Adin Ross and xQc, as well as security vulnerabilities that have resulted in hijacking and the uploading of malicious software. However, the platform has made efforts to address these issues.
Since its release in December 2022, Kick has rapidly gained popularity and is now a well-known name in households. The site, founded by Bijan Tehrani, Ed Craven, and Trainwreckstv, has been generating a wide range of attention. While some adhere to the belief that "all publicity is good publicity," there are valid reasons why Kick does not hold the title of the best in the industry for everyone. The platform has been specifically subject to debates surrounding its streamers, controversial viewing categories, and its founders.
Nevertheless, Kick has managed to attract several prominent streamers to join its platform in recent months. The motivations behind such decisions vary, but it appears that one of the key factors influencing their choice is the lucrative multi-million dollar contracts being offered. On the other hand, a number of streamers have publicly expressed their reluctance to join the platform due to its problematic nature.
Kick Has A Lot of Red Flags
To grasp the reasons behind the widespread debate surrounding Kick, it is crucial to examine its founding motives. Essentially, Kick was established as an alternative to the Twitch streaming service, which is owned by Amazon. Kick positions itself as a creator-friendly platform by offering a revenue split of 95/5, a significantly higher value compared to other streaming services. However, it is important to note that Kick's affiliation with a gambling site called Stake raises concerns for some. While Kick allows users to block gambling-related content from recommendations, there are individuals who argue that Kick should also take action against gambling streams, similar to Twitch's approach.
Apart from these concerns, Kick has become a haven for controversial internet personalities. One such example is Adin Ross, who has been permanently banned from Twitch. Ross has always been outspoken about his viewpoints, but it appears that his erratic behavior escalated after his association with Andrew Tate. In recent months, Ross has been involved in gambling-related content, accidentally streamed adult films, and used derogatory language targeting the LGBTQ+ community.
In addition, xQc has garnered controversy on the platform, having signed a lucrative deal with Kick that brought an extensive following to the site. However, xQc's involvement in various scandals, including gambling, infidelity, and recent accusations of abusing fair use laws, has been the subject of much debate. Additionally, other creators on Kick, such as Amouranth, Destiny, and N3on, have also faced criticism.
Furthermore, despite Kick introducing new features, concerns have been raised about its security system. This is particularly significant when considering the recent incidents involving Destiny's stream being hijacked and threats made towards Adin Ross' channel. Maia Arson Crimew, a Swiss developer and hacker, exposed several critical vulnerabilities in the platform's code. One oversight enables users to impersonate others through chat messages, while another allows the upload of malware. Although the upload system was intended exclusively for images, Kick failed to implement it correctly. Thankfully, Kick acknowledged these issues in a tweet.
Websites like Twitch and YouTube are not without flaws. Amazon and Google, the companies behind these platforms, have faced criticism from content creators. Nevertheless, there are individuals who prefer to stick with a more established and less contentious platform. For instance, Pokimane, a popular Twitch streamer, expressed concerns that joining Kick would compromise her ethical and moral standards. Similarly, Ludwig, an American YouTuber and live streamer, stated that moving from YouTube to Kick would be detrimental to his brand. As a result, although Kick is making advancements, it is improbable that it will surpass Twitch in the near future.
