Twitch to Ban Confederate Flags Starting in January

Twitch has changed its rules and updated its Hateful Conduct and Harassment Guidelines as part of its latest move to protect its virtual community. Among the changes included is the removal of the Confederate flag and other racist emotes, which are common icons used in communication on the app. The changes will take effect on Jan. 22, 2021, and will affect any content posted on or after that date, but not before.

The new policy begins by saying that the network is a "space for people to create, join and participate in communities that share their interests." With no room for racism, harassment or bullying, Twitch stated that "it's important that this is done in a manner that allows everyone to flourish." The company said it will be limiting some people's perceived freedoms by removing the Confederate flag from its site, but by doing this, will create a more welcoming environment. "Twitch aims to be a place where everyone can come together in shared, community experiences," the policy reads. "This vision is threatened when people experience harmful rhetoric and abuse on Twitch."

We’re updating our Hateful Conduct and Harassment policy to clarify our expectations and make Twitch a safer and more inclusive place for everyone.

Learn more before it goes into effect on January 22, 2021: https://t.co/tNALgheR9e pic.twitter.com/STyzuG0UFH

— Twitch (@Twitch) December 9, 2020

Under the updated policy, characteristics that include race, national origin, religion, sex, gender, disability and veteran status are among those that fall under the hateful conduct protection. Prior to this, Twitch had been conducting research in studying its community. Among the other changes will be a tighter watch on how emotes are used, citing that these have been used inappropriately over the years. Saying they are important in communication on the network, Twitch noted that "they can be used maliciously," as well.

So what happens if users are caught violating these policies, specifically the use of emotes in a wrong manner? Polygon spoke with a representative from Twitch who said the company "likely won't suspend users" who violate the policy with just one emote. Those that use them in combination, as pointed out in the updated guidelines, will face discipline. To help give its users more clarity on the changes and what they can expect, Twitch will be hosting a series of discussions and take questions from its users ahead of the changes on Jan. 22.