Twitch splits penalties into “streaming” and chatting” bans
Twitch announced on Tuesday that it is overhauling its suspensions policy, moving away from its previous all-or-nothing penalty system. The platform is implementing two distinct suspension types: streaming suspensions and chatting suspensions. This change aims to match restrictions with the specific offense committed rather than revoking all access for any violation. Previously, a temporary suspension meant losing all platform access, including chat, watching streams while logged in, and accessing basic information.
A streaming suspension applies to violations occurring during a livestream. This penalty blocks the user from going live and temporarily disables chat on their channel. Despite these restrictions, the user retains the ability to watch streams while logged in, chat on other channels, and access their user dashboard. Viewers can still watch the suspended user’s existing clips and videos. The company states that this targeted approach ensures the restriction aligns with the context of the violation, specifically limiting the user’s ability to broadcast new content while maintaining their ability to consume it.
Conversely, a chatting suspension is issued for violations committed within chat environments. Under this penalty, the user is blocked from chatting on other streams but can still stream their own content and watch other streamers. A distinct aspect of this penalty is that users can still chat in their own channel, preventing them from participating in chats on other streams. This distinction allows creators to continue broadcasting and interacting with their own audience while being restricted from external chat participation.
For higher severity violations, Twitch will apply both chatting and streaming suspensions simultaneously. The company explained in a blog post, “Higher severity violations present a greater risk to our community, therefore they will receive both chatting and streaming suspensions simultaneously to prevent further harm.” Severity is determined by the extent of harm caused or potentially caused to users or the platform, defined as physical, emotional, social, or financial damage. The most serious violations will still result in an indefinite suspension with total loss of access to Twitch. The company stated, “And, as is the case today, those who commit the most serious violations will receive an indefinite suspension and lose all access to Twitch. There is no place for serious violations on Twitch.”
The length of temporary suspensions remains unchanged, ranging from 24 hours to 30 days. However, the company noted that with each new violation, the suspension length will increase. Accumulating multiple temporary suspensions can still lead to an indefinite suspension from the platform. Twitch is currently working on additional suspension types that will be rolled out in future updates to further refine the enforcement system.