While Twitch was (and is) primarily a streaming platform for gaming, it seems more and more people have been stretching that to its limits all in the name of clout and money. Case in point: quite a number of streamers (which we won’t name) have streamed almost naked, which should be against the channel’s policies.

In a large blog post earlier today, Twitch announced that they’re updating the Twitch Content Guidelines to be more lenient regarding sexual content. This update aims to streamline the policy and draw the lines surrounding sexual and sexual-adjacent content a little more clearly for creators.

The primary function of this change to the guidelines is to consolidate the Sexually Suggestive Content and Sexually Explicit content policies under one banner. In the process, Twitch also adjusted some of the language surrounding these guidelines to be clearer. Here are the biggest changes:

• 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.
• Several types of content that were previously prohibited are now Allowed With Label:
  • Content that “deliberately highlighted” specific body parts even when fully clothed
  • Fictionalized (drawn, animated, or sculpted) nudity, regardless of gender
  • Body writing/art on female-presenting bodies regardless of gender
  • Erotic dancing that involves disrobing or disrobing gestures
• Popular dances, such as twerking, grinding, and pole dancing are now allowed without a label. This change is to allow for certain contexts where such dancing might not break guidelines like a wedding or exercise class.
• Game Nudity is contextual and depends on the nature of the game; in most cases, the Mature rating label will cover the need for a Content Classification Level.

Twitch has seen a significant shift in content in the last few years. What was once a hub for gaming is now home to a much wider variety of media, much of which revolves around sexual content. Hell, hot tub streaming even has its very own category on the site now. These guideline changes seem to be an attempt to update the site policies to fit that type of content more comfortably. It’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

Source: Twitch

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