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Twitch is updating the way it responds to sexual content. As part of the change, the streaming platform will now allow some previously prohibited content — as long as it has a label to warn viewers.
Twitch has long struggled with moderating content containing sexual material and has faced backlash for its uneven handling in the past. While Twitch notably banned Indiefoxx over what the streamer claimed was a wardrobe malfunction, the company chose to warn — not ban — top streamer Pokimane for accidentally showing a Pornhub page. Twitch also recently banned a female creator who appeared to be streaming while topless.
Twitch is replacing its Mature Content toggle for livestreams with new “Content Classification Labels,” according to a blog post published Tuesday. The new labels are more descriptive, meaning streamers can be more specific about what viewers might see.
Twitch says streamers can now mark if their stream features:
- Mature-rated games
- Sexual themes
- Drugs, intoxication, or excessive tobacco use
- Violent and graphic depictions
- Significant profanity or vulgarity
- Gambling
Any games you play with an Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) of Mature will automatically get the “Mature-rated game” label, and if you change to playing a non-M-rated game, the label will be removed. And any labels you have will be automatically applied to VODs.
In its blog post, Twitch notes that it’s not updating its community guidelines; instead, it’s just offering more specific labels for certain types of content. Streamers who don’t label their streams will receive an email warning, and the correct label will be applied, Twitch says. “Streamers will not receive suspensions for failing to accurately label their streams,” according to Twitch, but if a streamer doesn’t use the correct labels after “multiple warnings,” their channel may be locked for “a period of days or weeks.”
Tuesday’s blog post also includes an FAQ that provides further clarification on when you’ll need to use a label. The significant profanity or vulgarity label will be required for using those types of language “in a persistent and excessive manner throughout the duration of your stream,” for example.
The new content labels are part of a string of recent updates from Twitch. Earlier this month, the company rolled out new ad rules that many streamers pushed back on, and Twitch walked back the ad rules a day later. Last week, it announced a new “Partner Plus” tier that outlines what streamers need to do to get a 70 / 30 revenue sharing split.
