Twitch streamers are wearing ‘censor bars’ across their breasts after platform rolled back on allowing ‘artistic nudity’

Since updating its “approach to sexual content” on Wednesday, online streaming platform Twitch has seen a striking new trend among its content creators.

After the streamer's loosened restrictions on “artistic nudity,” some of the platform's users have been chasing viewer traffic with a new sensation: a simulation of full nudity with fake “censorship tapes.”

Twitch, which has found success thanks to the popularity of live streaming for video game streamers, revised its policy on December 13 — following the platform's controversial ban of popular new streamer and OnlyFans model Morgpie.

Morgpie was banned after her topless live fundraiser apparently went viral on December 8, only to be reinstated after Twitch revised its guidelines last week.

Now, a number of other users are pushing the boundaries of Twitch's new policy allowing “artistic depictions of nudity,” including body art and sexual caricatures.

Clips of Twitch streamer and OnlyFans model Firedancer's Twitch streams, where the model posed nude based on the clever placement of large black “censor bars”, went viral across social media, garnering over 100,000 views in one day for the original video on her page

Twitch is no stranger to content that pushes boundaries, often employing dangerous tricks that its users have dubbed “metas,” short for “most effective tactic available.”

“Metas” — an acronym taken from the world of “massively multiplayer online” games like World of Warcraft — have come to include exciting, self-explanatory content like the 2021 “hot tub meta” trend and the more puzzling “fart meta.” '

The new “topless meta” and its variants the fake “censorship bar” are just the latest strategy deployed by some Twitch users to monetize their streaming content on the platform.

“It's funny and shocking what black bars do to imagination,” Twitch streamer and OnlyFans model Firedancer Share to X after her viral “nude” appearance.

“It's funny and shocking what black bars do to fantasy,” Twitch streamer Firedancer posted on X after her viral “nude” appearance

While this tactic has certainly drawn attention, some users have expressed their annoyance with Twitch's confusing policies and marketing of itself. “I'm tired of them trying to have their cake and eat it too by advertising themselves as family friendly,” one user posted on Reddit.

Clips from Firedancer's Twitch streams, in which the model posed nude based on the clever placement of large black “censor bars,” spread across social media, garnering more than 100,000 views in a single day for the original video on her page.

The video includes a moment where a glitch brings down the censorship bars, revealing that Firedancer was wearing a bra the entire time.

While this tactic undoubtedly caught attention, some users were upset by Twitch's confusing policies and marketing.

“Twitch needs to either embrace video girls and create an adult section, or put an end to this obvious pornography,” one user said Posted on Reddit.

They added: “I'm tired of them trying to have their cake and eat it too by advertising themselves as family friendly.”

The live stream was removed from the website shortly after it was filmed, but other users posted clips that now appear on her Twitch page

“I'm not against sex work or women showing their bodies,” another user said, “but Twitch is not the place for that.”

Others have been more critical of Twitch for its perceived reactionary turn that led first to the ban of streamer Morgpie and then new content guidelines.

The viral clip of Morgpie was filmed as a live broadcast to raise money for the international non-profit Doctors Without Borders.

Although it has not yet been announced how much money Morgby has raised, the clip indicates that she has at least surpassed her original fundraising goal of $1,800.

“Morgpie was doing this stunt for charity,” one user posted on X.

Twitch banned Morgpie from the website on December 11 and later unbanned her once the guidelines changed

“She was planning to donate her ad revenue as well, which is money Twitch would only make if they decided to support commentary,” a user who goes by Snowboo He continued on the platform.

“Congratulations, scumbags, you've just robbed a charity.”

Twitch banned Morgpie from the website on December 11 and later unbanned her once the guidelines changed.

Twitch's new guidelines, published under the title “Updating our approach to sexual content and content rating labels” in an FAQ last week, hope, first and foremost, to make its policies less “confusing” for streamers and viewers.

“We want streamers to feel confident that they understand our rules, and for viewers to feel confident that they will get the experience they expect,” the company said in its statement. mail.

“The previous sexually suggestive content policy was inconsistent with industry standards and resulted in female streamers being disproportionately penalized,” Twitch added.

With the new changes, streamers on Twitch will be allowed to broadcast content that “intentionally highlights the breasts, buttocks, or pelvic area,” even when fully clothed, as long as the content is labeled appropriately.

Among the content now permitted, Twitch will allow performers on the platform to engage in body art and striptease that includes “twerking, grinding, and pole dancing,” as long as the content is labeled “sexual themes.”

Here, too, the platform has limits: the art of “fantasy sexual acts or masturbation remains prohibited,” the company said.