Twitch Updates Policies to Continue Crackdown on Sexual Content
By Movieguide® Contributor
Popular live streaming platform Twitch has updated its policy on sexual content, barring live streamers from creating content that focuses on “intimate body parts” for extended periods of time.
“Starting on Friday, March 29th, content that focuses on intimate body parts for a prolonged period of time will not be allowed,” Twitch said on social media.
The update is part of a larger effort to make the platform less sexual and safer for younger users. In recent years, the site has been plagued with streamers promoting sexual content to draw users in. Many of these streamers would also link to other sites that are explicitly sexual, such as Only Fans, using Twitch as a gateway.
Last December, it appeared that Twitch had given up when it announced it would start to allow “artistic” depictions of nudity. Following this update, the site was flooded with sexual content, leading to an immediate backlash from users. The policy was reversed two days later, and Twitch has since been cracking down on sexual content on the site.
In January, the platform took action against a new trend where streamers would imply they are nude by using censor bars and other objects to barely block sexual parts of the body.
“Nor do we permit streamers to imply or suggest that they are fully or partially nude, including, but not limited to, covering breasts or genitals with objects or censor bars,” the site’s policies now reads. “We do not permit the visible outline of genitals, even when covered.”
“Our goal, always, is to make Twitch a welcoming place. We regularly assess our rules to ensure they’re clear and effective, recognizing that online behavior can shift over time,” a Twitch spokesperson said.
These harsher guidelines around sexual content are encouraging to see, given the younger audience that Twitch attracts. Furthermore, by removing sexual content and keeping the site focused on gaming and other non-sexual livestreaming, Twitch is protecting its streamers from sexual harassment and abuse, as people will no longer come to the site looking for sexual gratification.
Movieguide® previously reported on Twitch’s crackdown on sexual content:
Last week, the popular live-streaming platform Twitch announced a new policy that broadened its tolerance for nudity on the site. However, after widespread backlash, the company reversed its decision, reverting to its previous rules.
The new guidelines allowed for “artistic” depictions of nudity, including drawings, animations, sculptures and other forms of art that “deliberately” highlighted breasts, buttocks and the pelvic region. The new policy also allowed for sexual dances such as twerking and pole dancing. Following this change, the platform was flooded with extremely sexual content.
“Upon reflection, we have decided that we went too far with this change,” said Twitch CEO Dan Clancy. “Moving forward, depictions of real or fictional nudity won’t be allowed on Twitch, regardless of the medium.”
The company further explained that its decision to revert its policy came largely from difficulties presented by AI-generated art, which can result in hyper-realistic images.
