Last week, the U.S. Army's Twitch stream found itself trolled by viewers asking questions about war crimes rather than focusing on the games and players. The pointed questions spotlighted the dubious (and to some, highly unethical) practice of seeking out recruits among a viewer base that includes many young, impressionable gamers.

The Nation reports that Army Esports streams on Twitch regularly featured automated chat prompts with links promising a chance to win an Xbox Elite Series 2 controller. However, Twitch viewers who clicked on the link were directed to the Army's recruitment form, with no mention of the controller or the drawing.

There was backlash against Twitch for allowing advertising on their platform, but Twitch did not seem to recognize what was happening and put a stop to the "promotion."

"Per our Terms and Conditions, promotions on Twitch must comply with all applicable laws," a Twitch representative said in a statement. 'Because this promotion did not comply with our terms and conditions, we have requested that they be removed.'

Twitch allows streamers to promote on their channel as long as they comply with the following provisions:

The US military has a long tradition of promoting to the public through sports. As noted when the Navy and Air Force announced their sponsorship deals with ESL and Dreamhack, it is common at U.S. sporting events for military personnel to fly the American flag during formation flights and the national anthem.

Twitch streams are perhaps more personal: not one-on-one, but can feel that way, especially if the essential message is that soldiers are ordinary people who love video games and say "UwU." Twitch is also a regular sporting event also gives viewers a chance to say things back that they don't have in the

We have contacted the Army and will update if we hear back.

Thanks, Kotaku.