Amazon’s video game streaming platform Twitch took Tuesday by storm, and not entirely in a good way, by announcing a brand new set of Brand Content Guidelines that are rolling out to the popular platform.
Twitch made the official announcement on their website Tuesday, and in part, here are the new set of guidelines, starting with how the platform defines Branded Content:
Examples of branded content on Twitch include:
- Product placements
- Endorsements
- Sponsored gameplay
- Paid product unboxings
- Channel sponsorships
- Branded channel panels
- Brand logo stream overlays
Branded content on Twitch is not:
- Wearing your favorite t-shirt that happens to feature a brand or product
- Showing off a new piece of equipment you bought for yourself
- Talking about your favorite restaurants within your community
If you are producing branded content on Twitch, you must
- Use the branded content disclosure tool
- Ensure that your branded content meets the format requirements
- Ensure the products or services you are promoting are permitted
Examples of when you do not need to use the branded content tool:
- Your offline channel page has panels promoting a brand or sponsorship.
- You have merchandise, memorabilia, or other products in your camera view but are not being paid to actively discuss or promote them.
- You or your mods share affiliate links in response to questions from your community.
- You mention a sponsor in passing, but are not actively promoting the product or service in exchange for payment
Twitch also detailed the type of content that they are no longer permitting on the platform moving forward. It seems, on the surface, that Twitch is making a concerted effort to distance itself from problematic content, particularly gambling content that has spawned the alternative streaming platform Kick, which fully embraces gambling content, has much looser restrictions, and is backed by Stake.com.
Per twitch: We do not allow promotion of products and services prohibited by our Community Guidelines such as:
- Hateful Products or Services, such as products that promote hateful stereotypes or include offensive slurs
- Illegal Products and Services, such as selling, advertising, or trafficking drugs, firearms, counterfeit goods, or other illegal goods and services
- Certain Gambling Products, such as promoting online slots or roulette websites
- Unauthorized Sharing of Private Information, such as products or services to look up private information, such as phone number and home address
- Spam, Scams, and Other Malicious Conduct, such as hacking, phishing, or malware services, or services that disrupt Twitch services (including viewbotting, fake account creation, or selling Twitch accounts)
Additionally, we do not allow the following products and services:
- Weapons, such as firearms, explosives, and related products
- Adult-oriented products or services, such as pornography, sexual content, or male enhancement products
- Tobacco and tobacco related products, such as cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vape pens, and chewing tobacco
- Certain financial products and services, such as Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), multilevel marketing and get rich quick schemes, and payday loans
- Medical facilities and products, such as prescription drugs, medical trials, pharmacies, miracle cures, and drug treatment centers
- Political content, including paid promotion of politicians, political parties, or issues of public debate
- Cannabis-related products, including vaping and delivery
Finally, we allow branded content for certain products and services, but with some restriction, including:
- Alcohol, products must be marked as mature content
