When it comes to online game streaming, while others have come and gone, Twitch remains the place to be. While there have been issues in the past, the company is now taking a proactive approach to the management of users. The update to its username policy has extended further to cover new areas.
The new additions to the policy include:
- References to recreational drugs, hard drugs, and drug abuse, with exceptions for alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana.
- References to sexual acts, genital, or sexual fluids
As part of the expansion of the username policy, Twitch will offer existing usernames that reference the now banned content, the opportunity to reset their username through a provided tool. The reasoning for the changes are outlined in a recent blog post focus on community safety and inclusivity:
Although we’ve removed many reported, offensive usernames under our current policy, we believe establishing a stronger standard is needed to cultivate a diverse, inclusive global community on Twitch.
With the continually evolving online space and an increase in viewers of a younger demographic, the change — as a parent and viewer — feels like a smart one by the company. As a parent though, I always enquire as to what my kids are doing online so that I’m part of that protective layer they have.
