Looking to create “the best and safest place to stream,” Twitch has clarified it sexual harassment policy as well as added AutoMod functionality to block problematic messages before they even appear in chats. It’s all part of an enhanced effort to fight back against abuse on the platform.
On a blog post, Twitch shared a new definition for sexual harassment on the platform to provide “clear boundaries around what behaviors are and aren’t allowed.” The full explanation is below:
“We define sexual harassment to encompass non-physical behaviors of a sexual nature that cause users to feel uncomfortable, degraded, unsafe, or discouraged from participation. We prohibit unwanted comments–including comments made using emojis/emotes–regarding someone’s appearance or body, sexual requests or advances, sexual objectification, and negative statements or attacks related to a person’s perceived sexual behaviors or activities, regardless of their gender. We also do not tolerate the recording or sharing of non-consensual intimate images or videos under any circumstances, and may report such content to law enforcement.”
It is possible the company’s team may get it wrong on consensual messages, Twitch admitted. That’s why there is an Appeals Portal, though any expression of sexual violence will not be allowed on the streaming service–no matter the context.
In addition, Twitch announced that AutoMod has been updated to catch sexual harassment messages before appearing in a streamer’s chat. It’s also customizable, allowing users to make it more or less strict. The updated AutoMod functionality only works for the English language so far.
Earlier this month, Twitch reinstated former President Donald Trump’s channel after he became the official Republican nominee for the US presidency in 2024. At the beginning of the year, Twitch fired 500 people as part of massive downsizing.
