Twitch changes their terms of service to tackle implied nudity. Showing breasts, buttocks and crotches for “extended periods” is now banned.
Twitch has made changes to their Terms of Service (TOS) to once again try to clamp down on sexualised content on their streaming platform.
New Twitch TOS changes prohibit "content that focuses on clothed intimate body parts such as the buttocks, groin, or breasts for extended periods of time."
If you have been following the streaming world, you'll know that Twitch has been straying back and forth with its policies on nudity. From allowing it in certain perspectives, to outright banning it, to then allowing it again; it seems as if the company is struggling with making up its mind.
Every time a new meta comes around that involves some type of nudity, Twitch makes a stance on it right away. The newest form of entertainment has been streamers adding an extra cam that focuses on their breasts or butt, showcasing gameplay on them as if they were a screen.
Twitch TOS change aims to tackle greenscreen trend
It wasn't necessarily unexpected to hear from Twitch, but the streaming platform has had to amend rules multiple times to tackle new trends. Predominately ones that focused on sexualised content.
On March 27, Twitch announced the Terms of Service (TOS) change to "keep up with emerging behaviours".
The main change is obviously an attempt to tackle this new greenscreen trend which has led to hyper sexualised content on live Twitch streams.
"Content that focuses on clothed intimate body parts such as the buttocks, groin, or breasts for extended periods of time."
The changes were made to the Community Guidelines, essentially the rulebook for what is and isn't allowed on the platform.
Twitch's ongoing war with nudity and sexual content
Twitch's war with nudity and those who were against it all began back during the hot tub stream days when many streamers would stream themselves just chilling in a hot tub for content. While many viewers found this wrong, many also figured it should be fine as long as there is an NSFW rating on the content.
Twitch ended up siding with the hot tub streamers, making it an entire category on the website. Seems like a win, right? Now people who WANT to watch a hot tub stream can go to the exact channel while those who don't can avoid it.
Slowly, though, more and more streamers started playing around with what they could get away with. We saw nude painting streams, where streamers would paint their entire nude body to make it look clothed. We saw censor bar streams, where a streamer would sit there topless but with a censor bar covering their breasts.
Each time, Twitch would have to make a new rule regarding nudity after a brand new meta would be introduced.
Now, with a new nudity meta emerging, Twitch has already decided to crack down in a recent online statement. We will see how long it takes for Twitch to, once again, update this policy.
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