Rules of Conduct Update
Today we’ve releasing an update to the Twitch Rules of Conduct (RoC) and the User Reporting Tool. As these policies affect everyone that uses our services, we wanted to be as clear as possible with our reasons for the update.
Over the past two years, we’ve scaled up our efforts for site moderation, and throughout this process, we learned a lot about the most common and harmful issues our community faces. Based on this level of understanding, we’ve comprehensively reviewed our moderation policies to provide more detail on the specific actions and content that are considered RoC violations.
Today’s update features additions based on our current policies for the most severe issues and recent changes to our platform, such as the launch of Creative. Wherever we have made changes to existing policies, we’ve done so to more clearly spell them out. Although the changes to the document itself are extensive, our core principles have not changed: please treat others with respect and don’t abuse the site.
What Changed?
Here is a detailed list of the most significant changes, including those made for the launch of the Creative content category:
Rewrote the entire document to make all policies as clear and actionable as possible.
Updated details on the suspension and appeal processes.
Added “General Conduct” section for policies that apply site-wide.
Added “Gaming Conduct” section for policies that apply to gaming content.
Added “Creative Conduct” section for policies that apply to Creative content.
Added “Music Conduct” section for policies that apply to Music content.
Added “Content Appropriate for Multiple Categories” section to support broadcasters’ choice of the most appropriate directory for their content.
Added list of zero-tolerance harassment violations, including: attempts/threats to harm, kill, DDOS, or SWAT and posting personal information without consent.
Updated several sections in regards to pornography, sexually explicit conduct, nudity, and inappropriate broadcaster behavior/attire.
Added our policies for reporting child exploitation.
Added more details about what activities are considered spam, scams, or malicious content.
Updated our rules regarding copyright violations, pirated games, and unauthorized private servers.
Updated our rules regarding broadcasting games before release date to clarify how rights holders can report violations.
Expanded scope of our rules regarding cheating in online games to include harassing other broadcasters in-game via exploiting their live broadcast.
Updated Channel Reporting Tool
We’re also updating the User Report Tool by revising and expanding the list of “reasons” to reflect the current RoC. Please refer to this help article for guidance on usage. The updated list of reasons for reporting a channel include:
Site Suspension Evasion
Chat Ban Evasion
Self-Harm
Attempts or Threats to Harm
Harassment
Hate Speech
Offensive Username
Impersonation
Spam, Scams, or Other Malicious Content
Porn or Other Sexually Explicit Content
Gore or Other Obscene Content
Underaged (person under the age of 13)
Cheating in Online Game
Prohibited Game
Non-Gaming Content
Creative Conduct Violation
Music Conduct Violation
Other Terms of Service Violation
About the Rules of Conduct
Our Rules of Conduct serve as content and behavioral guidelines for all users to participate in such a way that promotes a positive experience for our global community. The RoC is built upon years of interaction with our community and the ever changing landscape of Twitch content. The RoC is a living document, so we will continue to work hard on this ongoing dialogue.