Twitch's nudity laws continue to shift: Cleavage is 'unrestricted', but no underboob allowed

SoftwarePlatformsTwitch’s nudity laws continue to shift: Cleavage is ‘unrestricted’, but no underboob allowedWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: SOPA Images (Getty Images))

Twitch booth at Thailand Game Show 2022

In December, Twitch relaxed its rules to allow for “artistic depictions of nudity” in streams—things like “content that ‘deliberately highlighted breasts, buttocks or pelvic region,’"—as long as it was labelled as containing “sexual themes.” Two days later, following “community concern,” it chickened out andwalked the changes back: “Moving forward, depictions of real or fictional nudity won’t be allowed on Twitch, regardless of the medium,” CEO Dan Clancy said.

Today Twitch further firmed up its no-nudity rules with anupdate to its attire policythat prohibits “implied nudity” in streams. The change comes in reaction to a recent meta in which streamers used objects, black censor bars, or strategic camera positioning to make themselves look fully or partially nude—even though, as Twitch acknowledged, most of them were clothed, and thus were not actually violating any rules.

“While most streamers have labeled this content appropriately with the Sexual Themes label and are wearing clothing behind the object or outside the camera frame, for many users, the thumbnails of this content can be disruptive to their experience on Twitch,” chief customer trust officer Angenla Hession wrote.

“While content labeled with the Sexual Themes label isn’t displayed on the home page, this content is displayed within the category browse directories, and we recognize that many users frequent these pages to find content on Twitch.”

It’s all made clear in the updated attire guidelines below, with the new editions in bold:

We don’t permit streamers to be fully or partially nude, including exposing genitals or buttocks.Nor do we permit streamers to imply or suggest that they are fully or partially nude, including, but not limited to, covering breasts or genitals with objects or censor bars.We do not permit the visible outline of genitals, even when covered. Broadcasting nude or partially nude minors is always prohibited, regardless of context.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

For those who present as women, we ask that you cover your nipples and do not expose underbust. Cleavage is unrestricted as long as these coverage requirements are metand it is clear that the streamer is wearing clothing.

For all streamers, you must cover the area extending from your hips to the bottom of your pelvis and buttocks.

The “attire exception” clause remains in place, meaning streamers can let it (almost) all hang out as long as they’re within reasonable proximity of a pool, hot tub, or beach, and use the Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches category for their stream. Proper coverage is still vital, though: Swimwear in these streams must be fully opaque and completely cover the genitals, “and those who present as women must also cover their nipples.”

As over-complicated as some of this language is, it’s admittedly a tough spot for Twitch. Striking a balance between acceptable “artistic” nudity (whatever that is), allowable hot tub jiggle time, and the kind of clothes-off action that scares away advertisers is a tricky, never-ending process, and as Joshua said in December when the rules were initially relaxed, it’s probably “doomed to be a fuzzy distinction forever.”

Yet in spite of that inherent complexity, Twitch seems determined to cook up a magical formula that will enable it to reduce everything to a simple, easy-to-moderate state of black and white, with no room for misinterpretation or accidental violation:This is allowed, this is not, easy peasy!

But if there’s one thing we’ve learned from the last couple of years of watching Twitch try to keep a lid on the skin shows, it’s that streamers are creative, unpredictable, and will push whatever boundaries they can to boost their audiences. It’s perfectly understandable that Twitch doesn’t want to become Pornhub for gamers (Kick arguably has that covered), but the shifting micro-definitions of what’s acceptable on the platform project some instability.

TOPICSTwitch

TOPICS

More about platforms

Sterling Shroud screenshot

Five new Steam games you probably missed (January 6, 2025)

LatestThe Last of Us season 2 trailer is a brief look at a story you should probably just play yourself in AprilSee more latest►

Latest

The Last of Us season 2 trailer is a brief look at a story you should probably just play yourself in April

the last of us season 2 trailer

The Last of Us season 2 trailer is a brief look at a story you should probably just play yourself in April

See more latest►

Most PopularMarvel Rivals' latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod sceneSorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our faultTeam Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40KIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anythingIf you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 offAMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fabI tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bayFinal Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their altsTikTok’s time in the US may be ticking to a close as it makes a last stand in the Supreme Court, though Trump now says he ‘opposes banning’ itMSI intros cheaper ‘back connect’ Project Zero Intel motherboards for super-clean PC builds you might actually be able to afford

Most Popular

Marvel Rivals' latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod scene

Sorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our fault

Team Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40K

Is the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.

Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anything

If you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 off

AMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fab

I tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bay

Final Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their alts

TikTok’s time in the US may be ticking to a close as it makes a last stand in the Supreme Court, though Trump now says he ‘opposes banning’ it

MSI intros cheaper ‘back connect’ Project Zero Intel motherboards for super-clean PC builds you might actually be able to afford

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals