Twitch usernames can no longer reference drugs and sex – marijuana can stay

A new username policy at Twitch will be enforced to better protect communities and anyone who doesn’t comply faces indefinite suspension.

As part of its efforts to make Twitch a safer and more inclusive environment – especially after the hate raids that have plagued many users – the platform has updated its username policy.

Basically, Twitch users now have to follow new guidelines regarding what name they wish to go by. As such, Twitch has provided a full list of what cannot be referenced or alluded to in usernames.

The list appears perfectly reasonable, although this does mean numerous Twitch users will need to slightly alter or outright change their names in order to comply with the new guidelines.

Usernames and display names can no longer contain references to:

Breaking the law, including terrorism and child exploitation Violence and threats Hateful conduct Harassment or sexual harassment Unauthorised sharing of private information Impersonation of another person, company, or organisation Glorification of natural or violent tragedies Self-destructive behaviour Drugs, hard drugs, and drug abuse Sexual acts, genital, or sexual fluids

There are a few exceptions to the no drugs rule. The likes of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana are all fine, so if your username happens to be xxILoveMarijuanaxx, you might be okay. If it’s xxILoveCocainexx, however, you will need to come up with something else if you want to stay on Twitch.

‘In order to ensure that our community is safe and inclusive, inappropriate account names that violate our Community Guidelines are prohibited,’ says Twitch.

‘We also recognise that an account’s username has more impact across our services than many other forms of content because they are persistent,

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