Twitch has introduced a new “Enforcement Notes” feature to provide additional clarity on its Community Guidelines. 

This development aims to address user confusion and improve transparency in policy enforcement.

“These notes won’t replace our other communications, such as blogs and Tweets, but are meant to help provide a source of truth for all policy and enforcement updates,” Twitch’s support team wrote on X.

Key Policy Areas Addressed

The updated guidelines cover many topics: safety, civility and respect, illegal activities, and content authenticity. 

Twitch prohibits self-destructive behavior, violence, terrorism, sexual violence, and activities that endanger youth. 

Regarding content moderation, Twitch outlines policies on extreme violence, gore, sexual content, and adult nudity.

Off-Service Conduct and Intellectual Property

Twitch extends its enforcement to certain severe off-service offenses committed by members of the Twitch community. 

The platform requires verifiable evidence before taking action on off-service reports. 

Additionally, Twitch emphasizes protecting intellectual property rights, prohibiting users from sharing content they do not own or have rights to share.

User Identification and Game Content

The guidelines include policies on account usernames, display names, and tags. 

Twitch prohibits inappropriate or offensive usernames and outlines a process for username resets. 

The platform also maintains a list of prohibited games, primarily based on their ESRB ratings and content that violates Twitch’s Community Guidelines.

Gambling

Twitch prohibits sharing links or affiliate codes to certain gambling sites, specifically those containing slots, roulette, or dice games. 

The platform also addresses issues of impersonation and spam, implementing measures to maintain authenticity and prevent deceptive practices.

Enforcement and Transparency

“Enforcement Notes” provide additional clarifications and examples of how rules apply to platform trends. Twitch plans to update these notes when new “meta” violates existing policies, data spikes, or significant community confusion arises.

The platform states that Enforcement Notes will serve as a source of truth for all policy and enforcement updates. Twitch commits to notifying users of new enforcement notes via its @TwitchSupport Twitter account and plans to implement a visual indicator for future additions.

Implications for Content Creators

These comprehensive guidelines and the new Enforcement Notes system have significant implications for content creators on Twitch. 

The clarified rules aim to help streamers navigate platform policies more effectively, potentially reducing unintentional violations.

Twitch emphasizes that the guidelines apply to all content on the service, including video, chat, whispers, and accounts. 

Violations can result in actions ranging from content removal to account suspension. The platform provides an appeals process for users who believe enforcement actions were issued in error.