Update (1/25/20): This article has been updated with additional details.
Multiple channels supporting the QAnon conspiracy theory remain active and have even been monetized on the streaming platform DLive, despite its own terms of service seeming to prohibit QAnon content. One of these accounts was directly involved with the January 6 rally supporting President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., that eventually became an insurrection at the United States Capitol.
Following the storming of the Capitol, DLive -- a video streaming site which had been known for hosting white nationalists and other extremists and giving them an avenue to monetize their content -- announced that it would ban multiple far-right figures that may have been involved with the insurrection, some of whom used the platform to livestream the riot. The platform also announced that it would demonetize content that is “deemed to only be appropriate for mature audiences,” which covers “virtually all non-gaming content.” The company claimed these efforts show it “will not tolerate the possibility of violent extremists not only broadcasting on our platform, but potentially profiting by misusing our platform to promote violence or illegal conduct.”
However, the platform has not taken specific action against multiple QAnon channels that have been previously banned on other platforms and which used DLive to monetize the conspiracy theory. This is despite the fact that DLive’s terms of service prohibits content that “is fraudulent, false, misleading or deceptive,” is “violent or threatening or promotes violence or actions that are threatening to any person or entity,” or “promotes illegal or harmful activities or substances.” QAnon has been tied to multiple violent incidents, and the FBI, the Department of Defense, the National Counterterrorism Center, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security have all issued internal warnings about the conspiracy theory. QAnon and its supporters were also heavily involved with the Capitol insurrection.
A review by Media Matters found multiple QAnon channels still active on DLive, some of which were previously banned by YouTube and other platforms. One of those channels is RedPill78, which has been verified by DLive -- meaning the platform considers the channel to be one of its “excellent content creators” and “front line ambassadors for the platform.”