Sneako has been banned from YouTube. The popular streamer posted the message he received from YouTube about the ban on Instagram in a post he has since deleted. Sneako had more than 1.2 million subscribers on his account. He has previously been banned from Twitter and TikTok, according to his social media posts.
In a statement to Heavy, YouTube said, “We terminated two channels associated with the creator SNEAKO for violating our Terms of Service. Channels with an active Community Guidelines strike are unable to post content, and it’s a violation of our terms of service to circumvent that decision through the use of another channel.”
According to YouTube, Sneako’s channel, “SHNEAKO” was given a community guidelines strike for violating YouTube’s harassment policies. YouTube said that was the second strike the channel received during a 90-day period. YouTube added, “Per our long-standing three-strikes policy, the channel was prohibited from uploading content for 14 days. It’s a violation of YouTube’s Terms of Service to circumvent this decision through the use of another channel, and violations may result in penalties, including termination of channels that are dedicated to reuploads.”
As a result, YouTube said it terminated two channels associated with Sneako, under the names SNEAKO and SHNEAKO.
On Instagram, Sneako shared a screenshot of the email he received from YouTube. The email notified him, “We have reviewed your content and found severe or repeated violations of our Community Guidelines. Because of this, we have removed your channel from YouTube.” The email did not specify what guidelines Sneako is accused of violating.
The email added, “We know this is probably upsetting news, but it’s our job to make sure that YouTube is a safe place for all. IF we think a channel severely violates our policies, we take it down to protect other users on the platform – but if you believe we’ve made the wrong call, you can appeal this decision.” It was not immediately clear if Sneako plans to appeal.
Sneako Has Created a New Channel on Twitch & Says He Will Be Streaming There
On Instagram, Sneako directed his fans to a new channel on Twitch. He wrote in an October 3, 2022, post, “Banned on twitter, tik tok, now youtube. This is where I’ll be streaming for now.” The channel currently has about 6,000 followers.
On Reddit, users reacted to Sneako’s YouTube ban in the subreddit “LiveStream Fail.” One Redditor wrote, “It was a matter of time. The guy was diving head first down some really touchy/insane conspiracy rabbit holes.” Another said, “he flew too close to crazy. the problem is you get mad numbers until you get cancelled.”
Other Redditors pointed out Sneako’s recent association with Andrew Tate, a British social media personality who was banned from YouTube and other platforms. According to The Guardian, “Tate’s views have been described as extreme misogyny by domestic abuse charities, capable of radicalising men and boys to commit harm offline.”
The 24-Year-Old Connecticut Native Said He Began Streaming on YouTube When He Was a Teen & Was Sad That He Will No Longer Be on the Platform
Sneako, whose real name is Nico Kenn De Balinthazy, is a 24-year-old from Connecticut. He has been on YouTube and creating content on social media since he was a teen. Sneako talked about being banned on the FreshandFit podcast on October 3.
“Most recently canceled man on the internet. They got me on Twitter, TikTok and now YouTube,” Sneako said. “They banned my main channel. It’s a bit of a disappointment. I grew up on YouTube. I started there when I was 13 years old, I started making videos. Nine years of videos n my main channel, Sneako, all gone. But you can go find them. It’s good that I backed them all up on Rumble. … I’m not going anywhere.”
Along with his own streaming, Sneako offers aspiring creators workshops that he says will help them make money from YouTube and social media. On his website, The Creativity Kit, Sneako wrote, “From 9 years on Youtube, working for MrBeast, and getting cancelled weekly. I’ve figured out the formula for anyone to profit off of social media.” Sneako charges $50 per month for the service, according to his website. That includes his “blueprint to making money as a creator through a library of training videos,” along with weekly community calls and access to a community Discord server, the website explains.