After a bumpy few weeks, Twitch is putting an end to the "topless meta" trend.
According to TechCrunch, the streaming platform updated its attire policy on Wednesday to address a viral trend in which users stream nude or appear to be nude while streaming. In the new policy, Twitch outlines very specific guidelines that prohibit streamers from being "fully or partially nude" or to "imply or suggest that they are fully or partially nude, including, but not limited to, covering breasts or genitals with objects or censor bars."
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The policy goes on to say that "For those who present as women, we ask that you cover your nipples and do not expose underbust," although cleavage is allowed, and "the area extending from your hips to the bottom of your pelvis and buttocks" must be covered.
Explicit nudity was already banned on the platform. But the recent trend, topless meta, featured streamers nude or appearing nude but with their breasts and genitals out of frame or covered with a black censor bar. A streamer and OnlyFans model who goes by Morgpie effectively kicked off the trend by streaming topless in a fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders and was subsequently banned from the platform. "Meta" in this context is a gaming term that's short for "most effective tactic available." So essentially, savvy streamers like Morgpie were taking advantage of the loophole to get more engagement and visibility. This was especially popular for streamers with smaller audiences.
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As TechCrunch notes, such videos were properly tagged for Sexual Themes, therefore weren't technically breaking any rules and by default didn't appear on the homepage. But the thumbnails featuring nude or apparently nude streamers that showed up on other pages began to irk members of the community. "Our goal, with this and other recent changes, is to make Twitch a safe and welcoming place for all of the communities that call it home, improve the clarity of our policies, and ensure that people have the experience they expect when spending time on Twitch," said Angela Hession, chief customer trust officer at Twitch.
Previously, Twitch had updated its nudity policy to allow "fictionalized" i.e. illustrated or animated nudity. But photorealistic AI-generated images flooded the platform and Twitch changed the policy soon after, saying "Digital depictions of nudity present a unique challenge – AI can be used to create realistic images, and it can be hard to distinguish between digital art and photography," in a follow up blog post.
So there you have it. The topless meta party is over, and streamers will have to find another way of boosting their profile fully clothed.
