SAN FRANCISCO — Twitch has revised its rules on adult content, allowing some nudity as long as the Amazon-owned gaming platform considers it “artistic.”
The new policies were announced Wednesday in a blog post by Twitch Chief Customer Trust Officer Angela Hession.
The post, titled “Updating our Approach to Sexual Content and Content Classification Labels,” explained that the platform had “received consistent feedback” from streamers that its policies around sexual content were confusing and difficult to follow.
“We want streamers to feel confident they understand our rules and viewers to feel confident they will get the experience they expect,” Hession wrote.
The post explained that Twitch’s Content Classification Labels (CCLs), implemented in June, recognized that some sexual content may be permitted as long as it is flagged as not suitable for all audiences.
Newly permitted under the category “Allowed With Label” is content that “deliberately highlighted breasts, buttocks or pelvic region,” even when fully clothed; fictionalized (drawn, animated, or sculpted) fully exposed female-presenting breasts and/or genitals or buttocks regardless of gender; body writing on female-presenting breasts and/or buttocks regardless of gender; and erotic dances that involve disrobing or disrobing gestures, such as strip teases.
According to Hession, these changes relying on the use of CCLs were implemented because the previous policies, admittedly ambiguous and hard to interpret, “resulted in female-presenting streamers being disproportionately penalized.”
Popular dances, such as twerking, grinding and pole dancing, are now allowed without a label.
“Previously some dances were prohibited and others were allowed with a label,” Hession wrote. “Enforcing on dances regardless of context meant our policy prohibited twerking at a wedding or taking a pole dancing exercise class, for example. The policy now takes context into consideration, and only prohibits streaming inside of an adult entertainment establishment.”
Although fictionalized (drawn, animated, or sculpted) sexual body parts are now allowed with a Sexual Themes Label, all sexual acts or masturbation — including fictionalized — remain prohibited.
Games featuring nudity, pornography, sex or sexual violence as a core focus or feature remain entirely prohibited, as are custom gameplay or visual modifications of non-prohibited games, if the mods include nudity or sex content, including uncensored patches.
Failure to use the Sexual Themes CCL accurately will result in warnings and the correct CCL will be applied by Twitch to the stream. Repeated warnings can result in temporary lockouts.
Twitch also updated criteria for homepage recommendations. Streams that are labeled as including drugs, intoxication or excessive tobacco use; violent and graphic depictions; gambling; and/or sexual themes will no longer be included in homepage recommendations shelves, Hession explained, “due to the visual nature of those topics.”
