Twitch Sues Users over Alleged ‘Hate Raids’ Against Streamers

The terms of service is a contract. Suing someone who breaks a contract is what civil courts handle all day long.

In this case, Twitch claims to have damages from the breaches.

> As a direct and proximate result of Defendants’ material breaches of the Terms and Developer Terms, Twitch has been and will continue to be harmed, thereby entitling it to injunctive relief, compensatory damages, attorneys’ fees, costs, and/or other equitable relief against Defendants. Twitch is entitled to special damages in the amount of lost profits and other reasonably foreseeable harms proximately caused by Defendants’ breach.

I think a legal basis for the lawsuit is a bit besides the point. Twitch needs to demonstrate publicly that they are doing everything possible to stop this behavior. And legally sound or not, suing someone (or even the threat of it) is an expensive but effective way to get them to stop doing something.

You get sued in a civil court for breach of contract. That's how contracts are enforced.