No, generally speaking, steam snipping is not illegal in the United States. But that doesn’t mean it pretty much is a green flag and anybody is good to go for it; instead, we must say that yes, in some cases, it can become kinda problematic, mainly when it involves harassment, stalking, threats, or privacy violations.
What Exactly Is Stream Sniping?
Stream sniping is when a person watches a live stream and takes advantage of the information from the stream to hamper the streamer. This practice is most widely spread in online games. Spectators, who watch the stream, can learn where the streamer is, what moves or tricks they do very quickly from the stream and then play the same game and get an unfair advantage.
For example, someone may enter the same game as the streamer and keep chasing the streamer according to the live video. Sometimes they may spoil the game drastically, troll the streamer or keep singling out the streamer to disturb the streaming.
Besides the gaming scenario, stream sniping can also happen in other contexts. In the case of IRL streams, one could use a live broadcast to locate the streamer’s whereabouts and then go there without their permission. That’s where things can get heated.
The point is to understand that: stream sniping is a deliberate act and it is targeting someone. Merely watching is not the issue. It is about taking advantage of real-time information to interfere.
Different Forms of Stream Sniping
Stream sniping has different characteristics. In gaming, if often consists of entering the same game session and utilizing the stream to locate the player who is streaming. At times, it can also mean that a stream sniper is peeking at secret information like maps, cards, or game plans that the other players are not aware of.
Sometimes, stream sniping turns into trolling or griefing. Trolling and griefing actions refer to the cases when a player intentionally plays badly, chat spams, or constantly disrupts the game to annoy the streamer.
IRL stream sniping is a whole different level of crime. Using a live stream to locate a person in real life and then confront or interfere with them is very likely to land you in serious trouble. Even if it is a public place, such a behavior is quite questionable from the safety standpoint.
In any case, stream sniping means that a live stream is used in a way the streamer had not consented to.
When Stream Sniping Becomes Illegal
Stream sniping becomes illegal when it goes into the realm of harassment, stalking, threats, or violation of privacy. US laws already regulate these actions even if the texts don’t specifically mention stream sniping.
On the one hand, if a person keeps targeting a streamer in order to intimidate, frighten, or upset them, then that could be classified as harassment. Furthermore, if it is carried on for quite a while, it may be considered cyberstalking in accordance with state or federal laws.
Threats, whether through chat, voice, or face-to-face, are highly frowned upon and can result in criminal indictments.
IRL stream sniping is the one that potentially brings about the most serious consequences. Chasing a streamer, coming to their home several times, or staying close by the streamer even if they ask you to leave, can be legally considered stalking or disorderly conduct, even when it is in a public place.
Matters of privacy violation are also important. Taking the stream as a source for addresses, personal information, or trying to get private data without consent may be severely punished by law.
Basically, it is not necessarily the mere indiscriminate viewing of the stream that brings legal trouble, but the post-use of the information one gains thereof that can cause trouble.
