Is body painting allowed on Twitch? Rules and conditions explored

Popular live-streaming platform Twitch has faced scrutiny since its modified policies on allowing art content depicting nudity. While this update has been reversed, many streamers have managed to navigate around the guidelines, continuing to stream content that could be deemed as not safe for work (NSFW).

Recently, there has been a proliferation of content in the "Beauty and Body Art" section of the platform. As the name suggests, this category includes streamers who aim to creatively showcase their art on their bodies (such as make-up or body paint).

Despite being a creative domain, there exist specific allowances and restrictions creators must adhere to. This article will delve into the specific guidelines the platform has set for this category.

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What is Twitch's policy on Beauty and Body Art content?

As one of the largest live-streaming platforms, Twitch has a comprehensive and detailed set of guidelines outlining the types of content that are permitted and restricted.

According to the platform's guidelines, creators can use body paint as a form of artistic expression, allowing them to showcase their creativity by painting on their bodies.

However, there are specific boundaries in place, and creators aren't allowed to use body paint as a means of producing adult content or content that violates the platform's guidelines.

If certain streams are flagged as potentially infringing on guidelines, they undergo a review process. The platform considers and recognizes the contextual nature of art before making any determinations. Here's what the platform says:

"Body painting, dancing, and other creative activities that do not violate our policies are welcome... If flagged as potential s*xually suggestive content, we will consider the context and intent of the content to determine whether the reported conduct violates our policies."

The platform's policy on body painting content (Image via Twitch.tv)

An example of what is allowed under this category can be seen here:

Livetreamer DaisyFayeBee showcases her body art content (Image via Twitch/DailyFayeBee)

Tattoos are considered under this category too. Here is an example of a streamer showcasing getting inked during a live stream:

Twitch streamers are allowed to show getting inked (Image via Twitch/Alletattoo)

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What is the platform's policy on art streams?

Art streams have recently garnered attention following a platform update that permitted streamers to showcase their creativity, even if it involved nudity. However, this update quickly faced backlash when there was a surge in adult content on the website.

A couple of days following the update, the platform decided to roll back this change, stating:

"Effective today, we are rolling back the artistic nudity changes. Moving forward, depictions of real or fictional nudity won’t be allowed, regardless of the medium."

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Despite the platform's attempts to minimize adult or NSFW content on streams, creators have recently been devising creative ways to circumvent the guidelines. For instance, the latest "black box" meta has gone viral.