Key things
- Twitch is rolling out a new policy for streamers to better distinguish between live streams that will discuss more politically charged content on the platform.
- Streamers discussing a range of political and social issues from war to elections will now have to assign a special label to their streams.
- Twitch's new policy for political streams follows an increase in the number of politicians using Twitch as a platform to connect with viewers and promote their political campaigns.
Twitch is making a major change to its policies regarding streams discussing political or social issues, now requiring streamers to add a special label for more politically charged broadcasts. The Amazon-owned streaming platform has opened up to a wide range of content from its roots as a gaming-focused platform that now features a multitude of different creators and themes. Twitch hosts everything from “IRL” and “Just Chatting” streams to celebrity hosting and sporting events. However, one genre of content has often been controversial for the platform.
Twitch's proliferation of content has seen plenty of politicians throw their hats into the streaming ring in an effort to better share their message or connect with the gaming community. Many well-known politicians, such as US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz, have started streaming live on the streaming site everything from Between us on League of Legends. Some have even used Twitch to have more personal discussions with the voting public and viewers to talk about their political platforms and goals. Now Twitch is taking a different stance on politically charged streams.
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Twitch adds warning label for political streams
As reported by Eurogamer, a recent statement from Twitch announces a change in the platform's policy towards politically oriented streams. The new update requires that all streams discussing broader “political and sensitive social issues” on the platform must now have a special label to distinguish their nature. The statement goes on to refer to some specific topics where the new tag will be applicable, including war, civil rights, and election discussion on Twitch. Twitch does not confirm penalties for not flagging streams, although a temporary suspension may be a possible threat.
Twitch's change comes as politicians increasingly use the platform for political means, especially in the run-up to the 2024 US presidential election. US Senator Bernie Sanders recently appeared on a Twitch stream alongside fan-creators Pokimane and Sykkuno to support Kamala Harris' presidential campaign . The previously mentioned Tim Walz also recently streamed while playing Crazy taxiwhile you discuss politics and play a match Madden NFL 25 with AOC.
Twitch's change in political policy likely follows several recent issues on the platform regarding political discussions. Popular streamer Asmongold recently saw the platform banned for several weeks for comments about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, even withdrawing from OTK and Starforge Systems. Asmongold later reflected on the ban and his inappropriate comments, expressing his desire to “do better” and create a more positive environment. Twitch's new policies should better define what kinds of topics viewers can expect from the platform's streams.
