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Streamers are leaving<\/span> Kick<\/span><\/a> en masse in protest of the platform\u2019s lack of safety guidelines, after a prominent creator streamed an encounter with a sex worker without informing her that there were other people present. She was briefly prevented from leaving after she expressed discomfort, while Kick\u2019s CEO posted laughing emotes in the stream chat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt sucks to see a platform stand behind someone who clearly doesn\u2019t respect sex workers or their safety,\u201d Rachel, a streamer known as <\/span>TheFoodieWaifu<\/span><\/a>, told TechCrunch. \u201cThis was a job for her and to them a game. This woman clearly was afraid and was just trying to work and be safe.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Paul Denino, a creator also known as Ice Poseidon, streamed the encounter on September 21. The interactions with the sex worker took place in a living room, while Denino and fellow streamer Sam Pepper hid in an adjacent bedroom. The stream shows another man, named Andy, paying the sex worker $500 and asking for her consent to film. When the encounter became physical, Denino and Pepper made noises behind the door, which startled the woman. She tried to leave after receiving a text about the people in the other room, but Andy stopped her. When Andy reminded her that he had already paid her, she said the encounter was \u201ccreepy.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhy is it creepy?\u201d Andy said. \u201cIt\u2019s you and me and no one else.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In <\/span>a post days later<\/span><\/a>, Denino disputed claims of a \u201chidden camera\u201d and alleged that the interaction was legal. Denino streamed from Brisbane, Australia, where <\/span>sex work is legal<\/span><\/a> in licensed brothels or if a sex worker is working in private and alone. He also <\/span>posted footage<\/span><\/a> of a call allegedly asking the sex worker he could film her, which she approved for an extra fee. Later in the clip, he tells Andy that he can\u2019t block the sex worker from leaving.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s the mention that you two were hiding in the room? Creepy as fuck,\u201d Repzion, another creator who streams on Kick, <\/span>replied<\/span><\/a>. \u201cDid she consent to that? When she found that out, she left because she was uncomfortable. It\u2019s shitty regardless.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Kick has lured disenchanted Twitch streamers away from the platform with non-exclusive streaming deals, light moderation and a coveted 95\/5 revenue split. The platform is young, but its first year has been <\/span>checkered with controversy <\/span><\/a>\u2014 starting with its ties to a crypto gambling site also owned by Kick CEO Eddie Craven.\u00a0The most recent scandal is a wake-up call for many of its streamers \u2014 especially women who question if the platform is safe for them at all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The platform addressed the incident in a <\/span>public post<\/span><\/a> earlier this week, affirming that community and public safety \u201ccannot be compromised\u201d in content creation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re continuously learning where this balance sits and are making changes daily,\u201d the post continued. \u201cWe appreciate our community for the continuous feedback, both the good & the bad. We\u2019ll keep you updated on upcoming changes to community guidelines and subsequent enforcement measures.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Kick did not respond to TechCrunch\u2019s request for comment. In a <\/span>statement to 404 Media<\/span><\/a>, the company said that they \u201ccontinuously review and refine\u201d its policies, but may not disclose specific details \u201cfor privacy and confidentiality reasons.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe aim to maintain a fair and consistent approach to content moderation while respecting the privacy of our users and employees,\u201d the statement said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The company also removed Denino from the front page and featured category, which Bree, another Kick streamer<\/a>, described as a \u201cstart.\u201d Returning to Twitch isn\u2019t an option for her, she said, because of the harassment she faced on the platform.<\/p>\n \u201cKick\u2019s decision not to ban him does hurt, but I do think that from a business standpoint with contracts involved you can\u2019t just ban someone,\u201d she said in a DM. \u201cI feel like a lot of people are focusing on this while our time could be better spent working together to make our platform better.\u201d<\/p>\n