Twitch has unveiled its new Hateful Conduct and Harassment Policy, designed to give content creators and users a clear understanding of the types of behaviour considered unacceptable on the streaming service, and the steps the company will take when its rules are broken.
“We know that many people on Twitch – particularly women, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, Black, Indigenous, and people of colour – unfortunately continue to experience a disproportionate amount of harassment and abuse online, including on our service,” the company explained in its announcement post. “Not only is this blatantly unacceptable, it also undermines the community we’re building on Twitch and threatens the long term viability of streaming as a career for everyone who wishes to pursue it.”
To that end, Twitch’s updated guidelines – which are now split into three key categories: harassment, hateful conduct, and sexual misconduct – aim to “take a clearer and more consistent stance against hate and harassment”, clarifying existing policies and introducing others to more thoroughly address additional areas of concern.
