Once again Twitch is applying inconsistent rules to streamers, resulting in sanctions that many deem unfair. The latest to be hit is ShyBear, who was banned after wearing a tank top, which she says Twitch claimed was "sexually suggestive." Unsurprisingly, this has led to frustrated streamers and audiences calling for Twitch to define and consistently apply a dress code, in the same way that Mixer does.
Twitch's moderation inconsistencies are a long-running issue, with many smaller streamers seeing bans for minor to seemingly non-existent infractions, while larger names blatantly break the rules frequently and yet face no punishment.
This latest incident is especially baffling since ShyBear was wearing an outfit that displayed only a vague hint at cleavage, due to a small slightly see-through panel on her top, which was likely only visible due to her studio lights. She was also playing Monopoly and while we didn't see the stream, we're fairly certain that it's a game not known for its sexual connotations.
Earlier this year, the streamer was handed a 3-day ban for drawing a pencil outline of a woman. While this is slightly easier to understand than the recent sanction, it still makes no sense, especially when there are nude body painters on the platform.
ShyBear has called for Twitch to clearly lay out and consistently apply policies across the board saying "It honestly makes me more annoyed that Twitch doesn't respond to any emails or tweets regarding bans. Be transparent with your rules. Be straight forward. Be more like Mixer."
While rival streaming service Mixer has been criticized for what many consider to be an archaic dress code, they clearly set out the expectations that the platform holds streamers accountable to. In comparison, Twitch rarely offers explanations and instead serves up contradictions.
While ShyBear was unbanned, just over 24 hours after her infraction, she has since been left angry and further upset by the fact that she got no response to her messages and appears to have lost a huge chunk of her followers during the suspension.
Until there are clearly defined and consistently applied rules in place, this debate is going to continue. Twitch keeps asking its users to hold them accountable but yet when they try they appear to be met with a wall of silence. Only time will tell if these streamers start voting with their feet and following stars like Ninja and Shroud over to Microsoft's rival platform.