In the world of livestreaming, fan interactions can quickly turn from exciting to terrifying, and Twitch just learned that lesson the hard way.

Popular streamer Emiru became the latest victim of a disturbing trend at TwitchCon when a fan brazenly attempted to assault her during a meet-and-greet. The incident, which sent shockwaves through the streaming community, highlighted the ongoing safety concerns for content creators, especially women.

A Boundary-Crossing Nightmare

Emiru, a cosplayer with nearly 2 million Twitch followers, was confronted by a man who crossed multiple security barriers to grab her face and attempt to forcibly kiss her. Only her personal security guard’s swift intervention prevented a potentially worse scenario.

Twitch’s Inadequate Response

Twitch’s initial response was a classic case of corporate damage control. They claimed increased security and an immediate ban for the perpetrator, but Emiru called out their statement as “a blatant lie,” revealing that the assailant was allowed to walk away and was only caught hours later due to her manager’s persistence.

A Larger Cultural Problem

This incident isn’t isolated. Other prominent streamers like Valkyrae and Pokimane had already expressed serious safety concerns about TwitchCon, highlighting a toxic culture that consistently puts women creators at risk. The streaming platform’s repeated failures to ensure creator safety have created an environment where harassment feels almost normalized.

As the tech and streaming world grapples with these ongoing issues, one thing is clear: content creators deserve better protection, and performative security measures aren’t enough.