Breaking: Twitch’s Updated Policy Permits ‘Artistic Nudity’: Twitch, the popular Amazon-owned livestreaming platform primarily for gamers, has unveiled policy changes permitting specific forms of sexual content that were previously prohibited. These alterations allow certain types of artistic depictions, requiring appropriate labeling.
The updated rules now authorize “artistic” representations—such as drawings, animations, or sculptures—of “fully exposed female-presenting breasts and/or genitals or buttocks regardless of gender.” This content is permissible if creators label it as having sexual themes. However, depictions of fictionalized sexual acts or masturbation remain forbidden.
In a Wednesday blog post, Twitch acknowledged its former policy’s disproportionate impact on the thriving artist community, prompting the revisions. The company emphasized the need to accommodate creators without compromising the platform’s standards.
It’s important to note that Twitch maintains its prohibition against streamers being fully or partially nude. Yet, it now permits content highlighting certain body areas like breasts, buttocks, or the pelvic region, along with body writing and painting on “female-presenting breasts and/or buttocks regardless of gender,” provided they are labeled with Sexual Themes. Additionally, dances like “twerking, grinding, and pole dancing” are now permitted without a label.
However, there’s no change in Twitch’s stance on games that prominently feature nudity, pornography, or sexual violence. Such content remains entirely prohibited. Games with incidental nudity can be classified under the Mature-Rated Games Content label.
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Angela Hession, Twitch’s chief customer trust officer, noted that these updates were a response to consistent feedback from streamers about the confusion surrounding the platform’s sexual content policies. The company introduced Content Classification Labels (CCL) in June to ensure accurate labeling for varying audience suitability.
Hession stressed the significance of precise content labeling and highlighted the platform’s ability to enable appropriate labeling of sexual content using CCLs, thereby reducing the necessity for some restrictions in the previous policies.
Twitch’s implementation of Content Classification Labels requires explicit consent from viewers before accessing labeled streams. Moreover, streams categorized under Drugs, Intoxication, or Excessive Tobacco Use; Violent and Graphic Depictions; Gambling; and/or Sexual Themes will no longer be recommended on the homepage due to the visual nature of these topics.
Streamers failing to accurately apply Content Classification Labels will receive warnings, and Twitch will rectify the labeling if necessary. Repeated failure to apply the correct labels will lead to temporary locking of the label on the stream but won’t result in suspension, as stated by the company.
