Twitch policy will ban users for misconduct, even if it happens off platform

Twitch will begin expanding its approach to the way off-service enforcement is dealt with

As part of Twitch‘s new misconduct policy, the platform will ban users for harassment – even if it takes place outside of their site.

Twitch has released its updated misconduct policy and it contains several changes that will go towards battling how the site will handle hateful conduct and harassment by users.

Twitch began enforcing its Hateful Conduct and Harassment policy, but the updated version has been updated to be more clear and consistent.

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The new statement reads: “Our current guidelines state that in some serious cases where there is available, verifiable evidence, we may take action against users for hateful conduct or harassment that occurs off Twitch services – meaning on social media, other online services, or even offline – when directed at members of the Twitch community.”

The livestreaming site will begin expanding its approach to the way off-service enforcement is dealt with, this has been broken into two categories on the policy.

Category one will see the website “take into account verifiable, off-service behaviors or statements that relate to an incident that took place on Twitch.”

Further, category two will “enforce against serious offenses that pose a substantial safety risk to the Twitch community, even if these actions occur entirely off Twitch.”

Additionally, the policy also states that any form of violence, abuse, hate crime, sexual exploitation or child grooming, threats of mass violence, and more will violate the terms of the policy.

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The blog post went on to say that although the site will be taking action, it’s “crucial to get [it] right”. Twitch, at this time, are not able to investigate behaviours that occur “entirely” off the site that fall outside of the two categories. “This is an iterative, ongoing process, and as always, our end goal is to build a safer Twitch for everyone.”

In January, Twitch banned the “Pogchamp” emote in response to the Capitol Hill riots, after the streamer the emote was based on tweeted in support of the rioters.

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