Novaruu banned on Twitch after breaking little-known rule

Andrew Amos
Twitter: Novaruu / Twitch

Popular Just Chatting streamer ‘Novaruu’ has been taken off Twitch for three days, following a suspension under a little-known promotional giveaway rule.

Novaruu is a rising star of Twitch’s ever-popular Just Chatting category, but she will be unable to stream after the platform suspended her for three days.

Her suspension has raised some people’s eyebrows though, after she was taken off the platform for a rule that few users are aware of. 

Twitter: NovaruuNovaruu has been banned from Twitch under a little-known giveaway rule.

Why was Novaruu banned on Twitch?

Twitch suspended Novaruu on December 10, citing that she was “operating a contest or giveaway that violates Twitch Terms of Service.” She was banned for three days for the infringement. 

Novaruu has made a statement about her ban, disgruntled over the fact that her stream was taken down for such a period of time.

“Why did I just get a three-day ban for raffling off hand-painted bird houses,” she said, posing the question to Twitch. “How does raffling off a birdhouse and nudity have the same [ban length].”

https://twitter.com/novaruu_/status/1204607879334027265

Novaruu has speculated that she was banned under the Twitch ruling regarding unsolicited offers. 

Under section 9(iii) of the platform’s Terms of Service, streamers are not allowed to “make unsolicited offers, advertisements, proposals…to users of the Twitch services, including…things related to promotional giveaways.”

Streamers must also abide by the United States law when doing giveaways like this. Alabama, Hawaii, and Utah have banned raffles in their states. Novaruu currently resides in Texas, but is still subject to regulations under Federal law.

The Federal Trade Commission stipulates that “sweepstakes-type promotions that require a purchase by participants are illegal in the United States.”

https://twitter.com/novaruu_/status/1204613328036859904

Who is Novaruu?

Novaruu streams on Twitch in the Just Chatting category to around 1,000 viewers every day. She is a Twitch partner with almost 100,000 followers on the platform, and 44,000 followers on Twitter. 

She recently hosted a donation drive for the World Wildlife Fund, raising $3,385.69 for the conservation charity. 

Novaruu will return to Twitch after her three-day suspension is completed on December 13, or earlier if she appeals and is successful.