The Hypocrisy of Twitch
By Xander Townsend | Misfit Media Editor
Twitch is a platform that describes itself as "an American video live streaming service that focuses on video game live streaming, including broadcasts of esports competitions." I would describe Twitch as a live streaming service that is advertised as a video game platform, but recently caters to an influx of sexually suggestive content (the newest craze on the platform being "hot tub” streams). If you are a regular user of the service, you may have browsed the honestly ridiculous attempt at a 'just chatting' section which is saturated with sexually provocative content and live chats. Now whether or not it is immoral to be a content creator publishing sexually explicit content on a platform designed for young audiences to watch gaming content is another matter. I would like to personally discuss the ethical position Twitch holds.
The amount of sexually explicit content available on twitch was made extremely apparent in 2020 when a user attempted to sue Twitch for $25 million for exposing him to 'overly suggestive and sexual content from various female streamers'. He claimed he suffered several medical issues that required him to rely on the internet for entertainment catering to his OCD and sex additions. “Twitch has extremely exacerbated his condition by displaying many sexually suggestive women streamers through Twitch’s twisted programming net code,” the complaint states, “making it nearly impossible for the plaintiff to use Twitch without being exposed to such sexual content.” His lawsuit was denied as he didn't identify, much less support, any claims under California law.
Twitch claims that children under 13 years of age are not allowed on the site, with those below the age of 18 requiring parental supervision or permission. According to Statista, 38 percent of all Twitch app users in the US are ages between 10-19. Twitch recently (2020) had an update to their Nudity and Attire policy as well as their Sexually Suggestive Content policy, covering harsher garment-specific policies and covering what is defined as 'sexually suggestive' and 'sexually explicit' content. Clearly, this has become the social media giant has felt a need to address.
Twitch claims that sexually explicit content and activities, as well as sexually suggestive content is prohibited. Twitch's blatant inability to enforce their community guidelines is becoming an increasing problem. The main issue is that when Twitch actually does enforce these guidelines, it is selectively and for the purpose of monetary gain or damage control. Content creators even admittedly capitalise on and make massive money from attracting viewers looking to engage with sexually explicit content. The swimsuit hot tub streams are a way for women to slip past attire guidelines enforced by twitch (bathing suits are allowed if it makes sense in the particular setting) and capitalise on the extremely accessible viewer base. Massive streamers who have come out against the recent influx of sexually provocative content have suffered for it.
Twitch has a responsibility, when catering to children 13 years of age or higher, to enforce the apparent guidelines they refer users to when being made aware of their own hypocrisy. I understand it is a massive ethical notion to ask a platform to prioritise the safety of their potencially young users over monetary gain. Sexually explicit content on the internet is no rare phenomenon, but does it really have such a saturated place on a video game streaming site catering to children?