At Twitch, our mission is to provide the best social video platform created by the community where broadcasters and viewers can interact in real time. To achieve this goal, we ask that all users participate in such a way that promotes a safe and positive experience for our global audience.
To protect the integrity of our community, as the provider of the service, we at Twitch reserve the right to suspend any account at any time for any conduct that we determine to be inappropriate or harmful. You are free to appeal your suspension, but we are not required to provide a reason for our decision.
For minor first and second suspensions, your access to the site will be restricted for 24 hours, but there is no fixed time for the length of subsequent suspensions or suspensions for severe violations. We will consider appeals to indefinite suspensions based on our review of your conduct, account standing, and any other information we have. Our Customer Support & Moderation team reviews all requests for reinstatement, and we process these along with all other support requests.
In addition to our Terms of Service, we provide the following list of behaviors that could lead to suspension of your account or channel. These behaviors fall under a common sense philosophy and apply to all video content, audio content, chat messages, channel content, profile content, usernames, and any other conduct on our services. This is considered a living document that we will regularly update based on the evolution of the Twitch community and platform.
If you find yourself asking whether or not you're crossing the line, chances are you shouldn't do it.
Breaking the Law
You must respect all applicable local, national, and international laws while using our services. Any content or activity featuring or encouraging illegal activity is prohibited.
Suspension Evasion
All suspensions are binding until expiration or removal upon appeal. Any attempt to circumvent a site-wide or chat suspension by using other accounts, identities, personalities, or presence on another user's account will also result in suspension. Suspension evasion will not only increase the length of suspension, but may lead to an indefinite suspension.
Self-Destructive Behavior
Any activity that may endanger your life or lead to your physical harm is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: suicide threats, intentional physical trauma, use of illegal drugs, or drinking excessively.
Targeted Harassment, Threats, and Violence Against Others
Harassment, defamation, intimidation, raiding with malicious intent, or stalking of other persons or users, including Twitch Staff, Admins, or Global Moderators, is strictly prohibited.
The following are considered zero-tolerance harassment violations, and all accounts associated with such activity will receive an immediate indefinite suspension:
Hate Speech and Other Harassment
Any content that promotes or encourages discrimination, harassment, or violence based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, or nationality is prohibited.
Impersonation
Content or activity meant to impersonate an individual or organization is prohibited. Any attempts to misrepresent yourself as a member of Twitch Staff, Admins, or Global Moderators is a zero-tolerance violation and will result in immediate indefinite suspension.
Spam, Scams, and Other Malicious Conduct
Any content or activity that disrupts, interrupts, harms, or otherwise violates the integrity of Twitch services or another user's experience or devices is prohibited. Such activity includes:
Pornography and Other Sexually Explicit Conduct
Any content or activity involving pornography, sexual intercourse, or adult services is prohibited. Conduct involving exploitation of minors will be reported to authorities via the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Inappropriate Broadcaster Behavior and Attire
Nudity and conduct involving overtly sexual behavior and/or attire are prohibited.
Gore and Other Obscene Conduct
Content that exclusively focuses on extreme or gratuitous gore and violence is prohibited.
Unauthorized Rebroadcasts & Other Copyright Violations
Uploading any content that you do not own, do not have the rights to, or are otherwise not authorized to use may make your account liable to DMCA takedown by a rights holder. This includes, but is not limited to: rebroadcasting other Twitch broadcasters, playing pirated games, playing on unauthorized private servers, and uploading content from other sites.
Cheating in Online Games
Any activity, such as cheating, hacking, botting, or tampering, that gives the account owner an unfair advantage in a online multiplayer game, is prohibited. This also includes exploiting another broadcaster’s live broadcast in order to harass them in-game, such as stream sniping.
Broadcasting Sexually Explicit, Adults-Only, or Other Prohibited Games
Nudity can't be a core focus or feature of the game in question, and modded nudity is disallowed in its entirety. Occurrences of in-game nudity are permitted, so long as you do not make them a primary focus of your broadcast and only spend as much time as needed in the area to progress the game's story.
Games rated Adults Only (AO) by the ESRB are not permitted for broadcast on Twitch. For a complete list of games that are explicitly prohibited, please refer to our List of Prohibited Games.
Broadcasting Closed Alphas/Betas or Full Games Before Official Release Date
We ask that you respect all publisher/developer-enforced release dates, embargos, and NDAs by waiting to broadcast these games until everyone else gets to. Unless given prior approval, your channel may be subject to DMCA takedown by a rights holder.
Rights holders should report violations in accordance with our DMCA Guidelines. We ask that users refrain from reporting possible violations via the user report tool.
The primary focus of a Twitch Creative broadcast should be the process of creating an entirely original work or original content that could be copyright-protected. Broadcasts that involve replicas or derivative creations of others' copyrighted content may be subject to DMCA takedown by a rights holder. We encourage you to assess your broadcasts for adherence to copyright laws, including fair use.
Performances
Performances are permitted only to the extent that they contribute to the creation of an original work. However, broadcasts that focus entirely on performances of preexisting material are not permitted.
If you wish to perform or sing your own original music on your broadcast, please set your channel to the Music category, rather than the Creative category.
Assembly, Maintenance, or Reproduction
Any activity considered to be assembly, reassembly, maintenance, or reproduction of preexisting works is permitted only to the extent that it contributes to the creation of an original work.
Depictions of Nudity or Extreme Violence
We ask that you refrain from creating or using depictions of nudity or extreme violence for the time being. We are currently working on site features that will allow for responsible broadcasting and viewing of legitimate artistic depictions of nudity and violence.
D.I.Y. & Other Permitted Content
In addition to content that adheres to our Creative Rules of Conduct, we have determined the following type of do-it-yourself activities are also appropriate to broadcast in Creative:
For a more comprehensive list of permitted Creative content, please read our Creative FAQ.
Twitch Music broadcasts should focus on the live creation or performance of original music and should not only be an original audio experience, but a visual one too. Whether you’re singing, playing an instrument, or composing music, we must be able to hear you and your music and see you or your instruments/tools.
Recorded Music
Radio-style broadcasts featuring recorded music with no visual component other than static imagery or music visualizations are reserved only for approved music labels. Music performances such as karaoke, dancing to someone else's music, covering someone else’s music, and lip-syncing/impersonating cannot be the focus of your Music broadcasts.
Broadcasters are welcome to categorize their channels in any category appropriate for the content of their broadcast. For example, if you are creating game-specific art, you are free to categorize yourself in the associated game directory or Creative category. Similarly, if you are composing music, you are free to categorize yourself in Music or Creative.
All content that is neither gaming-related nor permitted in our Creative or Music categories is prohibited from broadcast.
