The streaming platform Twitch is tightening its rules regarding language and insults. Among the “bad words” are 3 new additions that, however, are seen by some streamers as part of Twitch.
What is happening at Twitch right now? Twitch is tightening its rules in January. This aims to reduce hateful behavior and sexual harassment. This affects both the language in the chat and the words that the streamer uses.
Many of these regulations expand on already known bans or specify them further.
In a live stream, Sara Clemens, COO of Twitch, addressed the adjustments. She mentioned that words like “Simp“, “Virgin” or “Incel” are also affected. Emotes related to these terms are to be removed as well:
What is the problem? While the previously announced tightening faced little resistance and was understandable for many, the banning of exactly these words is incomprehensible to some streamers.
For them, these words are part of the platform and the culture on Twitch. They protest and fear further restrictions.
“Virgin” is the English word for virgin and is often used in a negative context to describe someone as a person who “cannot get a partner.”
“Incels” refer to a culture of heterosexual men who involuntarily do not have sex but believe that they are entitled to it. The term originated from the words “involuntary” and “celibate.”
Teasing among friends is part of it
What do the streamers say exactly? The streamer NICKMERCS (cover image) belongs to the FaZe clan and has over 4.8 million followers on Twitch. In a tweet, he explains that teasing his friends while gaming is part of it for him:
I can’t imagine playing with the guys and not making fun of them.
Below this tweet, numerous reactions have collected, including sarcastic insults that exactly contain the 3 banned words. Among the users are well-known streamers like TimTheTatman, who often loses composure on Twitch.
Other streamers like summit1g or Asmongold, who was number 1 on Twitch during WoW Classic, show that they cannot understand the platform’s handling of the words.
Why are the terms included? Many streamers see the terms more as teasing among friends rather than insults addressing their sexual behavior. Many people who refer to themselves or others as “Virgin” have partners and even children, which excludes that they are actually virgins.
The content creator Jack “CouRage” Dunlop also fears that soon nothing more will be allowed to be said and that streamers will have to play muted with each other in the future.
Does the ban really help with the problem? Rod Breslau, a known eSports analyst and commentator, also explained on Twitter why he believes these restrictions make no sense.
He finds the words “overused,” to the extent that they no longer fulfill their original meaning, and thus the ban will fail to fulfill its purpose:
Twitch is also under criticism because the problems with music copyright are still unresolved. Many streamers are also upset with the platform and see the new adjustments as yet another reason to criticize Twitch.
Punishments exist if the words are used as insults
How does Twitch want to implement the change? In a response to Rod Breslau’s post, Twitch clarified that the mere use of these words is not prohibited. Therefore, “Virgin” can still be written and will not automatically lead to a ban.
However, there will be punishments if the words are used to “negatively imply a person’s sexual practices,” which is currently the case with most usages.
The use may constitute a “bannable offense,” meaning a reason to get banned on Twitch.
The regulations and adjustments to the Terms of Service will take effect starting January 21, 2021, and will only apply to content created after this date. Old clips and recordings that were made prior will not be punished retroactively by Twitch.
Harassment on Twitch is a problem and aims to protect women on the platform. Aggressive behavior continues to occur. The well-known streamer Imane “Pokimane” Anys has repeatedly complained about this:
Twitch streamer is fed up with being sexualized by “perverse losers”
