Twitch is reminding VTubers that they must abide by the same rules as human streamers. To guarantee that virtual creators follow the same dress code guidelines — particularly with regard to clothes and nudity — the platform recently modified its Community Guidelines.
New rules for VTubers
To simplify its dress code, Twitch added a new tool called Enforcement Notes, which applies to VTubers as well. The revised criteria mandate that VTubers dress appropriately for the context of their stream. The rules specifically require virtual creators to cover up areas like “genitalia, buttocks, hips, female-presented nipples, and underbust.”
Although there has always been a dress code for human creators, there was some uncertainty about when and how it would be applied to VTubers. As the platform has adjusted its policies over time, inconsistencies have made it difficult for creators to know what’s allowed.
Twitch updated its Community Guidelines with Enforcement Notes in order to clear up any misunderstandings. These notes seek to explain how emerging trends relate to established rules. A tweet from Twitch Support explained, “If a new ‘meta’ violates an existing policy, we see a spike in our data, or there is large community confusion… we’ll look to publish an enforcement note.”
After years of confusion about Twitch’s policies, particularly regarding clothing, a change has been made. Though some VTubers are still confused about whether their attire violates the rules, Twitch believes that this explanation will help creators avoid mistakenly breaking its policies.
VTubers and Twitch’s relationship
The platform’s relationship with VTubers has been rocky before. For example, VTubers previously prompted changes to Twitch’s “drop-ins” feature, which revealed the human identities behind virtual avatars.
However, Twitch seems to still want to maintain a good relationship with the growing VTuber community, especially as popular creators like Ironmouse (with over 321,000 active subscribers) attract huge audiences.
