Twitch bans streamer for “innapropriate attire” – but not for hot tub stream

Streamer ‘supcaitlin’ was banned from Twitch for “inappropriate attire” after wearing a bunny costume, despite being one of many streamers to regularly take part in the new trend of hot tub streams. The streamer suspects mass reporting was behind her suspension.

Over the years we’ve seen Twitch go through various trends and games, with streamers savvy enough to produce content they know viewers want to see. One of the latest trends is, rather bizarrely, hot tub streaming. As it sounds, creators get in hot tubs for the duration of their broadcasts and, well, that’s it.

It has been criticized by some as manipulating Twitch’s guidelines on revealing clothing, but streamers are yet to be broadly punished for partaking in the hot tub streams.

One streamer who has taken part in the hot tub meta is ‘supcaitlin’, a partnered streamer with upwards of 50,000 followers on the streaming platform. However, on April 10, she was banned by the platform for “inappropriate attire” – but not for her hot tub streams. Instead, the ban followed a broadcast in which she wore a bunny outfit.

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It turned out to be a 24-hour ban, with her account reinstated on April 11. The ban actually pushed back a hot tub stream to the weekend, but some members of the Twitch community were left feeling that the platform’s bans are incredibly inconsistent.

Twitch’s rules state: “Swimwear is permitted as long as it completely covers the genitals, and those who present as women must also cover their nipples. Full coverage of buttocks is not required, but camera focus around them is still subject to our sexually suggestive content policy. Coverage must be fully opaque, even when wet. Sheer or partially see-through swimwear or other clothing does not constitute coverage.”

Some feel that Twitch’s enforcement of their sexually suggestive content policies is incredibly inconsistent, with Caitlin’s bunny outfit arguably less revealing than some of her own hot tub content.

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Twitch has, in the past, been accused of acting leniently towards female streamers. Many feel that this trend and the lack of repercussions is a continuation of this leniency. Equally, it has been argued that the hot tub stream ‘meta’ is creating an “anti-women” sentiment on the platform.

Twitch says they always consider context with any moderation action.