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Twitch is updating the way<\/a> it responds to sexual content. As part of the change, the streaming platform will now allow some previously prohibited content \u2014 as long as it has a label to warn viewers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The platform will now allow \u201cdeliberately highlighted breasts, buttocks or pelvic region\u201d if the stream has a Content Classification Label (CCL)<\/a>, which Twitch launched in June as a way for creators to warn users if their stream contains sexual themes, gambling, vulgarity, or other mature content. The same goes for drawn, animated, or sculpted \u201cfully exposed female-presenting breasts and\/or genitals or buttocks regardless of gender,\u201d along with \u201cbody writing on female-presenting breasts and\/or buttocks.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Twitch also won\u2019t take action against streams featuring erotic dances like strip teases if they have this label. Conversely, Twitch will no longer require a label for streams involving twerking, grinding, and pole dancing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Angela Hession, Twitch\u2019s chief customer trust officer, says the platform updated its policies after receiving \u201cconsistent feedback from streamers\u201d that they were \u201cconfusing and that it can be difficult to know how their content will be interpreted.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Instead of having separate rules for sexually suggestive content and sexually explicit content\u00a0sections, Twitch merged the two into a Sexual Content Policy within the Community Guidelines as part of its update today. Hession says the former sexually suggestive content policy \u201cwas out of line with industry standards and resulted in female-presenting streamers being disproportionately penalized.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Although Twitch is loosening some of its restrictions on sexual content, it doesn\u2019t open the door to sex games, sexual violence, or porn. Twitch maintains that those are \u201centirely prohibited.\u201d Users won\u2019t see mature streams on the homepage, either. Any livestreams with labels indicating drugs, intoxication, or excessive tobacco use; violent and graphic depictions; gambling; and \/ or sexual themes won\u2019t appear as recommendations on Twitch\u2019s homepage. Users can still search for labeled content or find it directly on a creator\u2019s channel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This doesn\u2019t mean streams containing mature-rated games will be removed from the homepage, though. Twitch handles them separately: it detects when users are playing games with a Mature rating and automatically applies a \u201cMature-rated game\u201d label instead. You can check out the FAQ about the change, which includes more context on why Twitch made this update, at the bottom of Twitch\u2019s blog post<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n