Gaming platform Twitch rolls back nudity policy after multiple violations
Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Twitch has changed course on how it handles nudity just two days after it updated its policy to allow certain depictions of nudity on the platform.
The Amazon-owned livestream gaming platform said Friday that depictions of real or fictional nudity will no longer be allowed, regardless of the medium. The restriction does not apply to Mature-rated games streamed on the platform.
In a blog post, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy said the company revised its sexual content policy Wednesday to allow for "artistic depictions of nudity," after hearing from artists who said the platform's content policies were limiting.
"In making this update, we were trying to be responsive to these requests and allow the thriving artist community on Twitch to utilize the human form in their art," he said.
Clancy said many streamers, in response to the update, chose to created explicit content that was in violation of the new policy. He also noted the challenge AI-generated images pose, as the technology can be used to create realistic images, making it difficult to distinguish between digital art and photography.
"While I wish we would have predicted this outcome, part of our job is to make adjustments that serve the community," Clancy said. "I apologize for the confusion that this update has caused."
Twitch's policy update on Wednesday also sought to streamline disjointed policies on sexual content and create a newly clarified one. The section that pertained to 'artistic nudity" was the only one rolled back Friday. Changes also were made to the company's sexually suggestive content policy that Twitch said was out of line with industry standards and disproportionately penalized female-presenting streamers.
Last week, a video of banned female Twitch streamer Morgpie appeared to show her topless, which prompted community backlash, but she revealed on X she actually was wearing a low-cut top just out of view of the camera.
"I think honestly they (Twitch) are just cracking down on this new meta, and their TOS (terms of service) is very open-ended, "Morgpie said in the video. "I am wearing a shirt and pants in all of the streams, so it's just the implied nudity that really freaks people out."
