Twitch bans streamers from tricking users into thinking they are naked

Rules on sexual content and nudity have been in flux for weeks

(AFP via Getty Images)

Twitch has changed its policy on nudity once more – banning people from tricking viewers into thinking they are naked.

It is the latest in a run of tweaks made to the streaming service’s news as it attempts to define how sexual content is treated on the service.

The site has long struggled with how to regulate sexual content. It has faced backlash for both allowing and banning certain adult videos.

In December, Twitch announced that it would allow some sexual content that it had previously banned. People were then allowed to show “deliberately highlighted breasts, buttocks or pelvic region”, as long as they used a label that flags videos as including potentially problematic content.

It also let people include “artistic nudity”. But a couple of days later it reversed that, saying that “real or fictional nudity won’t be allowed on Twitch, regardless of the medium” because of backlash from its community.

Now Twitch says that it is making another change. It will not only ban people from streaming when they are fully or partially nude – but also if they suggest that they might be.

Users have placed objects or censor bars over parts of their body to suggest they are not wearing clothes, for instance. Users also must cover themselves in “fully opaque” clothing; “sheer or partially see-through clothing does not constitute coverage”.

Twitch said that it was attempting to ensure it is a “safe and welcoming place for all of the communities that call it home”, suggesting that some users had been made to feel unhappy because of the suggestion of nudity.

“We want Twitch to be a place where all communities feel welcome,” the company said on Twitter. “You spend so much time with us and it’s important that you have a consistently positive experience.”