The streaming platform Twitch has revised its rules on nudity. With this, they aim to be clearer and provide users more insight into their bans for offensive clothing.
This has been the problem so far: People on Twitch like to dress more revealingly, and Twitch has followed a rather confusing ban policy. For instance, female streamers were banned, citing their breasts as the reason. They said that if they had a different body type, they would not have been banned for the same behavior.
With such uncertainty about the rules, Twitch wants to put an end to it and clarify for what reasons streamers can be banned.
Twitch clarifies the issue of nudity
These regulations now exist regarding breasts: Because there have often been complaints that people were banned for showing too much breast, Twitch has now become more specific.
They now describe precisely how much breast is allowed. They state: “We ask those who present as women to cover their nipples. Visible underbust is not permitted. Displaying cleavage is allowed as long as it is sufficiently covered, as outlined here.”
Twitch emphasizes that body areas must be covered “opaque”. Transparent or partially see-through clothing does not count – such “transparent” tops have recently caused issues for some Twitch streamers.
What else is said about nudity? Twitch states that their previous rules on this topic were content-related. However, that was not clear enough for the community. Therefore, there is now a revision.
Twitch demands a standard measure of coverage, but also speaks of exceptions. They clearly state that the area between the waist and the lower end of the pelvis must be covered.
The streaming platform now believes that it should no longer be a matter of interpretation and that they will enforce these rules consistently. Until now, they relied on a common understanding of nudity, which did not work out entirely.
Here are exceptions: Twitch knows that there are some situations where the mentioned guidelines cannot be followed. There are exceptions. These include:
- IRL streaming
- Swimming and beach stays
- Body art
- Breastfeeding infants
These exceptions might please the body painter “forkgirl”. She was banned in February by Twitch for nudity. Although she received her account back shortly after, the discussions surrounding permitted nudity on Twitch were extensive.
You can read the entire list of regulations on the Twitch website.
Do the changes provide clarity? In September 2019, there were still significant discussions on the topic. The CEO of Twitch stated that the bans were a matter of interpretation. That can no longer be the case now.
So far, many from the community have said that Twitch should rather ban streamers like Alinity. She caused a stir because she was too rough with her pets for the viewers . Nudity is by far not as bad as the streamer’s actions, many viewers claimed.
It remains to be seen whether the new guidelines will lead to less discussion. Recently, a streamer mentioned that Twitch should be more like Mixer. She was banned for wearing an outfit that was too tight.
