Twitch has begun refunding subscriptions to permanently banned channels following an investigation by the gaming news outlet Dexerto. The investigation revealed that the platform continued to charge subscribers through auto-renewals even after creators were permanently removed from the service.
The oversight meant users were paying monthly fees for channels they could no longer access, with streamers who violated Twitch’s policies potentially still receiving payment splits long after their bans took effect.
No! Of course its not deleted! TO THIS DAY, my emotes, profile photos, banners and so much more remains on Twitch's servers.
— dan cant tweet (@dancantstream) April 7, 2025
Also, THEY KEPT CHARGING MY SUBSCRIBERS! This is from:
– indefinitely banned account
– deleted account
– cancelled partnership pic.twitter.com/dn1ziMhrBc
“Auto-renew subs kept going on terminated/banned channels for years after bans,” one affected user pointed out, highlighting how long this issue may have persisted unchecked.
This isn’t just about missing a technical detail—some users are questioning whether this crossed into illegal territory. “Shouldn’t there be a criminal investigation into this? This sounds like fraud,” another user commented, suggesting the platform’s continued collection of subscription fees for non-existent services could have serious legal implications.
Wow. This problem is bigger than I thought. If any victims of this would like to speak to a lawyer about starting a potential class action… DM me. https://t.co/TA7rmhHTdS
— AttorneyTom (@attorney_tom) April 4, 2025
Twitch has faced criticism in the past for inconsistent enforcement of its community guidelines and handling of banned accounts. This latest problem adds to a growing list of controversies surrounding the Amazon-owned platform’s business practices.
The subscription system, which allows viewers to pay $4.99 or more monthly to support creators and receive perks like exclusive emotes, is a cornerstone of Twitch’s business model. When a channel is banned, those subscription benefits become completely inaccessible—yet until now, the charges continued.
While Twitch is actively refunding affected users, the company has not publicly disclosed how many people were impacted or the total amount being returned. The refunds appear to be a direct response to being caught rather than a proactive measure to protect consumers.
This situation raises important questions about digital subscription oversight and the responsibility of platforms to immediately halt recurring charges when services become unavailable.
