Twitch to block VoDs, clips in South Korea starting Dec. 13

Jaxon Published November 10, 2022

A recent announcement from Twitch informs that the company will no longer allow VoD hosting on South Korean channels on Twitch starting December 13. The decision, which Twitch says will take place to clips, past broadcasts, and other types of uploaded content on the platform, will “implement best practices to meet evolving regulatory standards”.

What prompted the company’s update to its Terms of Service decision relates to South Korean legislation. According to the company’s statement, the decision applies only to South Korea. As of the announced date, streamers will no longer have the option to manage their recorded content.

The weird thing is that Korean streamers’ VoDs will be accessible outside the country. The company intends to do “the best to meet local regulatory requirements with better technology,” but for now, it will limit the impact of its decision to South Korea only.

What could be the significant factor for blocking VODs in Korea

Earlier this year, after the South Korean government proposed increasing streaming companies’ broadcasting fees, Twitch made another announcement. This decision came due to excessive traffic in the country. In a previous report, Twitch stated that “as a result, new solutions are needed to maintain operations in South Korea.”

Despite this context, the company declines that the decision has anything to do with these government demands. However, it merely limits itself to one sentence: an effort to implement best practices to meet evolving regulatory standards—no further details.