IShowSpeed’s Alleged Instagram Ban Explored, Why did the Streamer Disappear from the Platform?

Darren “IShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. is a popular live streamer, YouTuber, vlogger, gamer, and content creator in the industry. His hilarious and passion-filled streams helped him garner millions of followers initially on Twitch and now he has more than 21 million followers on YouTube. But IShowSpeed is not a stranger to getting banned on different platforms, and it actually has been the nucleus of his career.

Speed has faced multiple ban situations, a few among them being indefinite. Two of his biggest bans are reckoned to be on Twitch and Valorant by Riot Games. Twitch authorities banned him from the platform permanently after he was found violating the community guidelines by making highly controversial comments on stream. 

The streaming sensation was also banned on Valorant for a similar reason of making questionable comments towards a female teammate. IShowSpeed further faced several other temporary bans and suspensions on platforms and games like YouTube, TikTok Live, and Roblox. 

Recently, some of his fans noticed that IShowSpeed’s Instagram account had disappeared from the platform. Upon searching for his profile, fans came across an alert claiming it was a broken link or an unavailable page which automatically made them believe Speed was facing an Instagram ban. 

The rumors circled the internet since November 12, 2023, and the online community was quick to share screenshots. People eagerly shared their speculations about the disappearance and reasoned that he might have been banned for leaking sensitive information. However, some believed Speed’s stance on the Palestine conflict might have gotten him the boot from the platform.

Is it an Instagram ban or a voluntary deactivation?

According to a few sources, Instagram not only banned Speed’s official account but also deleted his burner account hours later. However, there have been also speculations stating that this might not even be an Instagram ban, as Speed might have voluntarily deactivated his account for variable reasons.

Interestingly, the voluntary deactivation also makes perfect sense because IShowSpeed has yet to address the situation. Yet, none of the fan’s speculations could be confirmed at the moment until the streaming sensation officially addresses the situation.