Twitch clarifies dress code for VTubers

VTubers are taking over Twitch, but the Amazon-owned platform is reminding virtual creators that they must still play by the rules. Twitch has used a new feature called Enforcement Notes to clarify its policy regarding nudity, which applies to VTubers as well as human creators.

The section of Twitch’s Community Guidelines regarding attire includes an addendum that addresses VTubers specifically. Per the clarification, VTubers must wear attire “that would be publicly appropriate for the context, location, and activity they are broadcasting.” While on stream, virtual creators must cover up their “genitalia, buttocks, hips, female-presented nipples, and underbust.”

These rules also apply to human creators, but there has been some confusion about how and when Twitch’s guidelines are applied. The platform has reversed its course on attire rules several times, and it has added new stipulations to that policy as its contentious “nudity meta” has evolved.

To set the record straight after years of uneven rules applications, Twitch has added Enforcement Notes to its Community Guidelines. “Going forward, we’ll use Enforcement Notes to outline how our rules apply to trends we see on Twitch,” reads a tweet from the Twitch Support account. “If a new ‘meta’ violates an existing policy, we see a spike in our data, or there is large community confusion and discussion on social media, we’ll look to publish an enforcement note under the relevant policy, clarifying what behaviors break our rules.”

Some VTubers have struggled to determine whether their outfits run afoul of the clarified rules. It’s not the first time that the relationship between Twitch and its virtual creators has been marked by confusion. VTubers previously prompted a change to the platform’s “drop-ins” after complaining that the feature inadvertently revealed their human identities.

Twitch would probably prefer a copacetic relationship with VTubers, given the size and trendiness of that community. The biggest name in the VTuber game, Ironmouse (pictured above), recently set a new record by attracting more than 321,000 active subscribers.

But even if Twitch’s attire rules may rankle VTubers, this may be a battle the platform needs to fight. Brands have been known to abandon ship if creators fail to comply with ad-friendly guidelines. Given the recent news about Twitch’s ad revenue, which is reportedly dwarfed by rivals like YouTube, the platform needs all the brand partners it can get. Its attire policy is designed to please advertisers, even if the VTuber community may have some objections.