In response to numerous reports concerning a problematic work environment and instances of abuse, Twitch has announced a revised policy addressing hateful content and harassment within its streaming community. This updated policy will take effect on January 22, 2021, and represents a significant shift in how Twitch evaluates potentially inappropriate content.

According to the company, Twitch’s Safety team will now place greater emphasis on the content itself and its resulting impact, rather than focusing primarily on the perceived intentions behind a streamer’s words or actions. The guidelines concerning hateful conduct and harassment, including sexual harassment – which now receives dedicated attention – have also been expanded, clarified, and strengthened.

Twitch emphasizes in a recent blog post that both words and actions carry weight and can have an effect, regardless of whether harm or offense was intended. Even if those directly involved in an interaction do not feel negatively impacted, the company recognizes that others within the Twitch community may be affected.

When determining appropriate responses to potentially violating behavior, Twitch will consider various factors. These include reports from the individual targeted or from the moderation team, as well as any other indications that the behavior was unwelcome, such as a channel timeout or ban.

The new policy provides a more explicit definition of behaviors that constitute harassment and are therefore prohibited. This includes falsely claiming that victims of documented tragedies are actors, encouraging harmful online activities like DDoS attacks or doxing, and instigating malicious raids on another person’s social media accounts. Importantly, these guidelines now extend to actions occurring outside of the Twitch platform.

Twitch is also broadening its definition of hateful content by adding “caste,” “color,” and “immigration status” to the list of protected identity characteristics. This list already encompassed attributes such as race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, serious medical condition, and veteran status.

While hate speech and related symbols were previously prohibited, the updated guidelines now explicitly ban hate groups, participation in hate groups, and the dissemination of hate group propaganda. The policy also prohibits the use of blackface, brownface, yellowface, and redface, except when presented within a clearly educational context. Twitch clarifies that this is a matter of clearer language, rather than a new rule.

The display of the Confederate flag is now also prohibited due to its “historic and symbolic association with slavery and white supremacist groups in the U.S.”

Recognizing that harassment can be subtle, the new policy will also address attempts to circumvent rules through the use of emotes. The Safety team will evaluate combinations of emotes, even in the absence of text, to identify potentially malicious content.

In response to community concerns regarding insufficient action against sexual harassment, the policy now dedicates a specific section to this issue and lowers the threshold for what is considered objectifying or harassing behavior.

Specifically, repeatedly commenting on someone’s perceived attractiveness – even if framed as a compliment – will be prohibited if the commenter has been asked to stop, timed out, or channel-banned. Lewd or explicit comments about anyone’s sexuality or physical appearance are also forbidden, with no exceptions for public figures. The unsolicited sharing of nude images or videos is also prohibited.

Twitch will host three live sessions on different dates prior to the policy’s implementation to guide creators through the changes and address their questions. These sessions will also be made available on-demand. The schedule includes a session at 10 a.m. on 12/11 on /CreatorCamp, another at 10 a.m. on 12/16 on /twitch, and a final session at 12 p.m. on /CreatorCamp on January 1, 2021.

While the penalties for various violations will not necessarily change, Twitch believes the more detailed policy will allow for more precise and appropriate responses based on the severity of the infraction. Less serious violations may result in warnings or brief suspensions, while the most egregious offenses could lead to indefinite bans, even on a first offense.

The blog post addresses additional questions regarding the policy’s implementation, including how existing content will be handled and how Twitch will respond to harassment reports that are not formally filed. (The policy will apply only to content created on or after January 22, and a report is required for Twitch to take action, to avoid penalizing users in situations where banter is acceptable.)

Some observers have questioned Twitch’s ability to effectively enforce these new guidelines, given past criticisms of its own internal workplace culture.

Numerous reports from current and former Twitch employees have detailed instances of sexism, racism, harassment, and other forms of abuse among executives and staff, both within the company and in the broader Twitch community. This raises concerns about the ability of an organization where, for example, women streamers were allegedly referred to as “boob streamers” or subjected to physical assault, to effectively enforce a sexual harassment policy. One report alleges that when an employee was called a derogatory name and spat upon, a manager inquired as to what the employee had done to provoke the attack.

Twitch has also faced criticism for past missteps, such as a Black Lives Matter support video featuring limited Black representation, a Pride celebration video with a questionable interpretation of the “G” in LGBTQ+, and the release of Hispanic Heritage Month emotes that allowed for the addition of culturally insensitive imagery.

The company states that the policy revision process began earlier in the year, but that recent community conversations, including those surrounding allegations of sexual misconduct, “absolutely informed” the changes.

Twitch CEO Emmett Shear previously issued a public memo promising to address community concerns and implement changes. This policy represents a step in that direction, but Twitch acknowledges that further action is needed to demonstrate its commitment to a safe and inclusive environment.