As of May 21, Twitch has pledged to give users “more control over their Twitch experience.” The platform now allows users to filter out certain mature categories of Twitch content with content classification labels.
What is content classification on Twitch?
In 2023, the platform introduced Twitch Content Classification Labels. As the name implies, these labels classify streams into a number of categories. Labels include sexual content, gambling, graphic violence, intoxication, smoking, and drug use, among other things.
If a user doesn’t want to see content under these categories, they can visit a new “Content Display Preferences” section to blur out or remove these categories from their feed.
Furthermore, the platform announced that minors will have certain categories of content filtered out automatically, including all the categories listed above.
Labeling streams under these categories is mandatory. According to Twitch, if a user fails to apply the right Content Classification Label to a stream, they risk getting that label applied to their channel indefinitely.
How will this affect Twitch’s nudity policy?
For the past year, the platform has struggled to pinpoint a consistent way to control sexualized streams.
In December 2023, the platform said “artistic nudity” would be allowed on the platform, only to reinstitute a ban two days later. Then, in January 2024, the platform stipulated an additional ban on “implied nudity,” putting an end to the infamous “black bar meta” streams.
With this new content filtering, the platform is putting the power in viewers’ hands. Could it work better than attempting any more blanket bans on sexual content?
“We believe Twitch should be a welcoming place for everyone, and recognize that content enjoyed by some may not be a good fit for others,” the platform added in the post. “Our goal with these changes is to make it easier for you to have a Twitch experience that’s right for you and to choose the communities that you want to be a part of.”
“We recognize that everyone’s viewing preferences differ,” Twitch added. “You should have more control over what you encounter when you come to Twitch.”
