Twitch, the go-to live streaming platform for gamers, recently updated its guidelines to clarify any confusion around nudity and attire that is allowed on the platform. Twitch streamers must now follow these updated guidelines and have till May 1st to remove any older content that violates the new rules.
Twitch's updated guidelines on "sexually suggestive content" and "nudity and attire" is pretty detailed and gives clear instructions on what is allowed and what is not. In comparison, the previous guidelines (Archive) didn't have clarity on what instructions to follow without fearing to be banned from the platform. For female streamers, exposing nipples and underboob are restricted. Cleavage, however, is unrestricted.
Twitch's new guidelines on nudity & attire
Streamers must follow the updated Twitch guidelines:
- Partial or full nudity, exposing genitals or buttocks is not permitted
- Exposing a visible outline of genitals is not permitted
- See-through or sheer clothing doesn't constitute coverage
- Swimwear is allowed under contextual exception, but the genitals must be covered
- In the case of body painting art, nipples, buttocks, and genitals must be covered by opaque attire
Sexual harassment on Twitch
While Twitch, like any social platform, would want its streamers to have a clean feed without any sexually suggestive material, there haven't been stricter guidelines for viewers who harass female streamers on their clothing. Noted streamers like ExoHydraX and Forkgirl, were banned from the platform after being reported for their "suggestive" attire.
The new guidelines certainly shed more light on what's permitted and what's not, there's another side to this story and it affects the female streamers. At the same time, the platform needs better tools to monitor and address gender-based harassment on its platform as there are several instances of female streamers who consider harassment as the "biggest obstacle" on Twitch.
Just like streamers, the viewers are subject to pretty stringent guidelines hateful conduct, harassment.
"Harassment is any content or activity that attempts to intimidate, degrade, abuse, or bully others, or creates a hostile environment for others, and is prohibited. Depending on the severity of the offense, your account may be indefinitely suspended on the first violation. We prohibit using Twitch to facilitate hateful conduct or harassment, whether the targets are on or off Twitch."
Shockingly, female streamers are routinely harassed in the game and more often than not for the way they dress during IRL. It remains to be seen if these new guidelines will shut the misogynistic knuckleheads from sharing their opinions on one's attire (well within the Twitch guidelines) or give them more power to police around female streamers.
