Twitch streams about “political and sensitive topics,” including “reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights,” now require labeling

UPDATE 5/11/24: Twitch has updated its controversial rules for labeling streams that focus on “political and sensitive topics” after its previous statement on new requirements caused a stir.

In an update posted last night, on the eve of the US presidential election, Twitch said it had made “some updates” to its “policy language to better clarify what a Content Classification Label (CCL) “politics and sensitive social issues”. “

Twitch previously described the type of “sensitive social issues” that would warrant its warning label, including discussions about religion, reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights and immigration. Now Twitch has said it wants to make it clear that labels don't apply when a streamer talks about their “lived experiences” or when discussing those topics is not the “focus” of the stream.

Why is Twitch so concerned about streamers labeling their shows? The company wants both viewers and brands — companies that spend money on advertising on the platform — to have a better view of what a streamer might be discussing.

“Our goal here, as with every CCL, is to give viewers and brands more information about what’s happening in a given stream,” Twitch said, “so they can make an informed decision about what they’re watching and where they are.” want to get involved.”

ORIGINAL STORY 02/11/24: Twitch has tightened its rules on shows that include debates about “political” and “sensitive social issues.”

In a statement, Twitch said that while it is a place “where people express themselves and discuss the world around them,” from now on, any stream that includes discussions about war, religion or “reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights or immigration” includes “must be marked.

“Twitch is a place for people to express themselves and discuss the world around them,” Twitch explained.

“We require that streams be flagged when the focus of the stream includes discussions and debates about political or sensitive social issues, such as discussions about elections, civic integrity, war or military conflicts, and civil rights.”

Examples of content requiring classification include streams featuring former or current political officials, if the content includes discussions with those individuals about public policies, live reporting or commentary on elections, civil processes or election-related disputes, and live streams of protests, rallies or riots related to civil rights issues or government policies.

Discussions about military conflicts, foreign policy decisions or national security issues as well as discussions of ideological or socio-political views on topics such as gender, race, sexuality or religion are also subject to further labeling.

“Discussing legislation related to a sensitive social issue such as reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights or immigration” is also subject to labeling.

However, “streams containing informational or educational content that aim to share knowledge in a neutral, fact-based manner, rather than in any way advocating for an issue or candidate” are not subject to the labeling.

“For example, sharing the story of how votes are counted in the U.S. presidential election to determine the next president, or simply encouraging individuals to vote or register to vote,” Twitch explained. “Occasional mentions of politics, politicians, or sensitive social issues are not necessary to carry the “politics and sensitive social issues” label.”

The changes come after a trying few weeks for the livestreaming giant, which has faced accusations of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.

“There is no place on Twitch for racism, hate or harassment of any kind, including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia,” CEO Dan Clancy said in a supplemental statement. “As our community has grown, we have strived to create community guidelines to prevent these harms.”

“Twitch is always about belonging. Every day in our ministry, people come together to build communities around shared interests and express themselves authentically. To make this possible, we work hard to ensure our community is a safe place.”

“Millions of streamers with diverse views and perspectives spend time on Twitch. We recognize that some Content, although permitted on our Service, may be offensive to some members of our community. However, the views shared by streamers on Twitch are not the case.” “We are grateful for the feedback and input from our community,” concluded Clancy. “Our approach to safety evolves as our service grows. We want to ensure everyone finds their place on Twitch, and we remain committed to ensuring that hate and harassment have no place here.”

Last week, Twitch apologized for preventing new account registrations from Israel and Palestine due to the ongoing conflict. It said logins were temporarily disabled following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks to “prevent the upload of imagery related to the attack and protect user safety.” However, this verification had not been reactivated until recently.