Twitch changes attire policy again to combat streamer nudity

Twitch has once again updated its policy regarding suitable attire for streamers on its platform, this time in an effort to stem the continuing trend of real or simulated nudity on the livestreaming service.

Twitch has long struggled to align how it treats streamers who purposefully serve sexualized content on the platform. At times, these streamers have been moderated harshly, including with indefinite bans. At other times, it has seemed like a free-for-all, with streamers able to do most anything they pleased.

The livestreaming platform attempted to remedy this confusion with a broad update to its policies that would align the rules and requirements for sexualized streaming. But this only led to more issues, none of which Twitch seemed able to anticipate.

Twitch tries to ban topless streaming in policy update

Twitch is now specifically taking aim at the trend of topless streaming on the platform. This latest “Twitch meta” emerged with streamers, most of whom were female, streaming while either legitimately topless or while simulating the visual of being topless. They would then frame themselves such that no nudity was actually exposed on camera, only hinted at. Even if it was hinted at very strongly, they weren’t technically breaking any rules.

This sort of cat-and-mouse game is nothing new for Twitch and its denizens of streamers. When streamers began wearing risque swimsuits and bikinis, Twitch decided that such attire was only appropriate when near a pool, hot tub, or beach. So streamers began inflating small pools in their homes and streaming in skimpy swimwear just as they had before.

It’s hard to blame streamers who are trying to make a living on the platform for doing what they have to do to work within Twitch’s inconsistent rules. Twitch’s attire update was meant to provide lasting clarity on the subject, and instead, it has led to a series of further updates, each attempting to provide better instructions than the last.

This latest update makes clear that streamers are not even allowed to imply nudity, in addition to still not allowing outright nudity. That means that streamers on Twitch must make it clear that they’re wearing clothes, even if those clothes are skimpy or otherwise sexualized.

Meanwhile, streamers continue to be banned in the resulting confusion. There’s no way to tell if this newest attire policy update will be the last, or if these updates will continue being required as streamers figure out how best to work around the rules. Those who do test the rules, however, run the risk of being suspended form the livestreaming service.