Twitch's nudity laws continue to shift: Cleavage is 'unrestricted', but no underboob allowed

03.01.2024 - 20:19 / pcgamer.com / Dan Clancy

In December, Twitch relaxed its rules to allow for "artistic depictions of nudity" in streams—things like «content that ‘deliberately highlighted breasts, buttocks or pelvic region,’»—as long as it was labelled as containing «sexual themes.» Two days later, following «community concern,» it chickened out and walked the changes back: «Moving forward, depictions of real or fictional nudity won't be allowed on Twitch, regardless of the medium,» CEO Dan Clancy said.

Today Twitch further firmed up its no-nudity rules with an update to its attire policy that prohibits «implied nudity» in streams. The change comes in reaction to a recent meta in which streamers used objects, black censor bars, or strategic camera positioning to make themselves look fully or partially nude—even though, as Twitch acknowledged, most of them were clothed, and thus were not actually violating any rules.

«While most streamers have labeled this content appropriately with the Sexual Themes label and are wearing clothing behind the object or outside the camera frame, for many users, the thumbnails of this content can be disruptive to their experience on Twitch,» chief customer trust officer Angenla Hession wrote. 

«While content labeled with the Sexual Themes label isn’t displayed on the home page, this content is displayed within the category browse directories, and we recognize that many users frequent these pages to find content on Twitch.»

In other words, it's not enough to be wearing clothes, streamers have to be seen to be wearing clothes so people won't think that maybe they're not wearing clothes, even though it's impossible to see the bits we're not supposed to see if they weren't because they're covered up—just not by clothing, except that in most cases they actually are covered up by clothing, but you can't see it so it doesn't count. Got it? 

It's all made clear in the updated attire guidelines below, with the new editions in bold:

We don’t permit streamers to be fully or partially nude, including exposing genitals or buttocks. Nor do we permit streamers to imply or suggest that they are fully or partially nude, including, but not limited to, covering breasts or genitals with objects or censor bars. We do not permit the visible outline of genitals, even when covered. Broadcasting nude or partially nude minors is always prohibited, regardless of context.

For those who present as women, we ask that you cover your nipples and do not expose underbust. Cleavage is unrestricted as long as these coverage requirements are met and it is clear that the streamer is wearing clothing.

For all streamers, you must cover the area extending from your hips to the bottom of your pelvis and buttocks.

The «attire exception» clause