Twitch are clarifying their rules about nudity again

Here we go again, Twitch are attempting to clarify their oft-confusing Nudity And Attire Policy which they've historically struggled to apply consistently. This time around, Twitch are spelling out which body parts are considered too naughty for streaming instead of attempting to regulate based on types of clothing. That does seem like an improvement. "Cleavage is unrestricted," in case you were wondering, but pelvic areas are still a no-no.

After removing and then un-removing a clip of a streamer breastfeeding a baby on stream last year, Twitch said "Community Guidelines will need to be updated to provide a level of transparency which will take time but I can assure it’s on the agenda." Whelp, the rules have been updated now and they do seem like an improvement, allowances for context and all.

Here are the highlights from Twitch's new policy:

"For those who present as women, we ask that you cover your nipples. We do not permit exposed underbust. Cleavage is unrestricted as long as these coverage requirements are met. For all streamers, you must cover the area extending from your hips to the bottom of your pelvis and buttocks."

Twitch also clarify that for areas which are required to be covered, semi or fully-transparent articles of clothing do not constitute coverage. Nude or partially nude minors are always prohibited. They outline situational exceptions to coverage rules, including body painting, breast feeding, swimming, and a few others.

In the past, Twitch's confusing policy has led to suspensions and bans that have confused streamers. At times, Twitch have even reversed decisions after feedback. The newly-worded policy is meant to remove as much ambiguity as possible and add "more transparency around what’s expected," they say. Now that Twitch isn't just a site dedicated to us dorks in sweatshirts playing games on camera, the variety of activities being livestreamed really does demand the extra clarity.

"To ensure we looked at this policy holistically and considered a diverse set of perspectives, we conducted research about Nudity and Attire on Twitch with creators across a variety of content types, including gaming, music, body painting, and fitness," Twitch says of authoring the new rules.

For more on how they arrived at this new set of words, you can see Twitch's blog post. You can also read the updated Nudity & Attire Policy.