Twitch’s new policy allows artists to draw characters in a nude manner.
Twitch has updated the way responds to content containing sexual material. The streaming platform has made a change that will allow previously forbidden content, as long as there is a warning label.
Twitch is known to have struggled in the past with , which modifies content that contains sexual material. The company has also faced criticism for its inconsistent handling of this issue. Twitch banned Indiefoxx for what it claimed to be a wardrobe malfunction. However, the company decided not to ban top streamer Pokimane because accidentally showed a Pornhub site. Twitch recently banned a female creator who appeared to stream while topless.
Platform will allow “deliberately highlighting breasts, buttocks, or pelvic area” if the streaming has a Classification Label (CCL). was launched by Twitch in June to alert users when their stream contains mature themes, vulgarity, gambling or sexual themes. It also applies to “fully exposed female breasts, genitals, or buttocks, regardless of gender,” as well as “body writing” on the female breasts or buttocks.
Twitch will not take any action against streams that feature erotic dancing, such as strip teases, if the stream has this label. Twitch won’t require a label if the stream involves twerking or pole dancing.
Angela Hession is Twitch’s Chief Customer Trust Officer. She says that the platform updated their policies after “consistent feedback” from streamers that they are “confusing, and it can be hard to know how content will be interpreted.”
Twitch has merged the rules of sexually suggestive and sexually explicit sections into one Sexual Content Policy within the Community Guidelines. This was part of the update that Twitch released today. Hession claims that the previous sexually suggestive policy was “out of line with industry standard and resulted disproportionately in female streamers being penalized.”
Twitch has relaxed some restrictions regarding sexual content. However, this does not mean that sex violence, sexgames, or porn are now allowed. Twitch says that mature streams are also “completely prohibited”. Twitch will not recommend any livestreams that have labels that indicate excessive or uncontrolled tobacco, drug use, intoxication or drugs; graphic violence or violent depictions of the content; gambling or sexual themes. Users can search for labeled material or directly find it on the creator’s channel.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that streams with mature-rated content will be removed. Twitch treats them differently: It detects when users play games with a Mature rating, and applies an “Mature-rated” label. The FAQ on the update includes more information about why Twitch decided to make this change . It is located at the end of Twitch’s blog post.