What is Twitch’s new sexual content policy? All changes, explained

The prominent discussion around Twitch between creators and viewers recently has been the rise in sexual content after several streamers reached the platform’s home page while appearing to stream “topless” while actually fully clothed.

Following the sudden rise of this new meta, a few creators being banned for it, and numerous online discussions about what’s acceptable on Twitch, the platform has responded with a massive update to its approach to “Sexual Content and Content Classification Labels,” and how this content appears on the home page.

So what does this all mean for Twitch’s streamers and viewers? Let’s break down all the changes made to Twitch’s policies on sexual content.

Newly allowed content on Twitch

Update 12/15, 9:40am CT: Twitch has rolled back the artistic nudity changes made in the Dec. 13 post. “Digital depictions of nudity present a unique challenge–AI can be used to create realistic images, and it can be hard to distinguish between digital art and photography…Moving forward, depictions of real or fictional nudity won’t be allowed on Twitch, regardless of the medium.” Nudity that appears incidentally in Mature-rated games is still permitted.

Twitch’s new Sexual Content Policy, which combines the pre-existing Sexually Suggestive Content and Sexually Explicit Content policies, opens the door for previously prohibited to now be streamed on Twitch, provided it is properly labeled so it doesn’t reach younger viewers. Going forward, the following content is now allowed (with a label):

• Content that deliberately highlights the “breasts, buttocks or pelvic region,” even when fully clothed.
• Body writing on female-presenting breasts and/or buttocks regardless of gender, as long as attire requirements are still met.
• Erotic dances that involve disrobing or disrobing gestures, such as strip teases. 

These changes should allow groups like women, artists, and dancers, who were getting “disproportionately penalized” to stream on Twitch regularly without risk of strikes or bans, provided the content is properly labeled and doesn’t include content that is still prohibited.

Additionally, streamers can now twerk, grind, and pole dance on-stream; however, streaming inside an “adult entertainment establishment” is still prohibited.

What about streaming games with nudity?

Games “where nudity is not the core focus or feature” are allowed on Twitch with the “Mature-rated Games Content Classification Label.” Additionally, the “Sexual Themes Label” must be applied to gameplay that focuses on nudity. This means creators can play Baldur’s Gate 3 without having to turn the nudity off, so long as they apply the correct labels.

However, games featuring nudity, pornography, sex, or sexual violence as a core focus or feature are still prohibited, as are mods that include nudity or sexual content. “Simulated sexual activity or erotic roleplay with other players in online games” is also still prohibited.

Homepage restrictions

Any stream with a label that includes “Drugs, Intoxication, or Excessive Tobacco Use; Violent and Graphic Depictions; Gambling; and/or Sexual Themes” will no longer appear on the Twitch homepage recommendation section. However, they will still appear in the Recommended Channels bar on the left side of the homepage since thumbnails don’t show in that section. These streams will also still appear in your Following tab, in Category page recommendations, and search results.

Streams labeled with Mature-rated Games and Profanity will still appear on the Twitch homepage.