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Streaming platform Twitch has announced a new code of conduct, aimed at eliminating harassment of streamers and viewers.
The new policy covers behaviour, language, and symbols, and will go into effect from January 22, 2021. Twitch also specified in the policy that “no exceptions will be made for public figures.”
DDoS attacks, hacking, doxxing, or swatting, are now explicitly prohibited. These behaviours were included in the previous code of conduct, but were under general harassment policy. Twitch has now outlined those behaviours specifically.
below are the specific changes for harassment, sexual harassment, and hateful conduct, which also include rules against brigading another person's social media profiles off of Twitch, and the certain use of emotes pic.twitter.com/viM9FRyVAq
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) December 9, 2020
As well as this, claiming that victims of tragedies are fakes or crisis actors is also specifically forbidden. So is “maliciously raiding another person’s social media on Twitch,” often referred to as ‘dogpiling’.
Twitch added that using Emotes to confer these opinions will be considered a violation, because “they can be used maliciously and will be held to this policy”. The Confederate Flag is now completely banned in all circumstances.
The sexual harassment policy has also been updated. Now, “repeatedly commenting on someone’s perceived attractiveness” is now a code violation, if “there is any indication it is unwelcome.”
“Lewd or explicit comments” about someone’s appearance or sexuality are also prohibited. Twitch adds that this policy extends to public figures, meaning lewd comments about celebrities fall under these rules.
Unwanted or unsolicited nudes, or links to pornographic material, are also expressly banned in the new rules.
Twitch has also recently banned the term “blind playthrough”, in response to disability campaigners.
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