In recent years, Twitch, the popular live streaming platform, has faced significant challenges regarding the moderation of sexual content on its platform. These challenges have included accusations of gender bias in its enforcement of rules, uneven handling of violations, and confusion among content creators about what is considered acceptable. In response, Twitch announced a new update to its content moderation policies, aimed at providing clearer guidelines for creators and addressing some of the issues it has faced. This update allows certain previously prohibited sexual content, as long as it is labeled appropriately to provide warnings to viewers.
One of Twitch’s key changes is the introduction of Content Classification Labels (CCL). These labels were launched in June as a way for creators to warn users if their streams contain sexual themes, gambling, vulgarity, or other mature content. Under the new policy, Twitch will permit certain types of sexual content, such as deliberately highlighted breasts, buttocks, or pelvic region, as well as fully exposed female-presenting breasts and/or genitals or buttocks, and body writing on female-presenting breasts and/or buttocks, if the stream has a CCL. Additionally, streams featuring erotic dances like strip teases will no longer require a label. However, the platform emphasizes that sex games, sexual violence, and porn are still entirely prohibited.
Twitch’s chief customer trust officer, Angela Hession, states that the update was prompted by feedback from streamers who found the previous policies confusing and struggled to predict how their content would be interpreted. One significant change is the merging of sexually suggestive content and sexually explicit content policies into a single Sexual Content Policy within Twitch’s Community Guidelines. This change acknowledges Twitch’s past failure to align itself with industry standards and address the disproportionate penalization of female-presenting streamers.
Preventing Unwanted Exposure
While Twitch is relaxing some of its restrictions on sexual content, it is important to note that users will not encounter mature streams on the platform’s homepage or as recommendations. Streams labeled with drugs, intoxication, excessive tobacco use, violent and graphic depictions, gambling, or sexual themes will not appear on the homepage. However, users can still search for labeled content or access it directly on a creator’s channel. It is also worth mentioning that streams featuring mature-rated games will not be removed from the homepage, but will be labeled as such to inform users.
Twitch’s latest update to its content moderation policies represents an effort to address the challenges it has faced in regulating sexual content on its platform. By introducing Content Classification Labels, the company aims to provide clearer guidelines to content creators and empower them to warn viewers about the nature of their streams. Similarly, the merging of sexually suggestive and sexually explicit content policies seeks to eliminate gender bias in Twitch’s enforcement practices. Despite these changes, Twitch maintains its commitment to prohibiting sex games, sexual violence, and pornography. As Twitch continues to evolve its content moderation policies, it is crucial for the company to strike a balance between allowing creative expression and maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for all users.
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