Twitch has finally released a statement about deepfake pornography after an incident in January involving multiple high-profile streamers. The company has vowed to take immediate action, which includes a change to the platform’s policy, consulting with an online safety expert, and a Creator Camp to help streamers protect themselves.
The blog post says that although deepfake porn isn’t a problem on Twitch, which has pre-existing guidelines banning explicit content, it is an issue that affects mostly female streamers who use or are partnered with the platform. “Though we have the most control over what happens on our own service, we want to help streamers protect themselves or respond quickly to this kind of situation anywhere it arises,” the statement from Twitch reads.
To that end, Twitch is updating its policies to include harsher penalties for anyone on its platform caught promoting, creating, or sharing this kind of imagery. The policy update includes a new term for what is generally known as “deepfake porn,” with Twitch labelling it “synthetic non-consensual exploitative images” or “synthetic NCEI” for short. Twitch explains that the term “pornography” is inappropriate, as porn should refer to consensual acts undertaken by willing performers, while “synthetic images” is used to make sure the policy covers the breadth of techniques that could be used to create non-consensual imagery.
Twitch is updating both its Adult Sexual Violence and Exploitation policy and its Adult Nudity policy with the following clauses:
1. We’re updating our Adult Sexual Violence and Exploitation policy to make it more clear that intentionally promoting, creating, or sharing synthetic NCEI can result in an indefinite suspension on the first offense.
2. We’re updating our Adult Nudity policy to include synthetic NCEI. Even if that NCEI is shown only briefly, or, for example, shown to express your outrage or disapproval of the content, it will be removed and will result in an enforcement.
Along with these changes, Twitch will be running a Creator Camp to give streamers more information on NCEI, how to spot it, and how creators can protect themselves. This workshop will be run by Zara Ward, a manager at the Revenge Porn helpline and a Twitch streamer herself. Twitch has also been consulting with experts including vice president of the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, Danielle Keats Citron.
The blog post also contains some resources creators can access now if they need help removing or dealing with instances of NCEI. Twitch finishes by affirming in no uncertain terms that “the creation, promotion, or viewing of this content is not welcome on Twitch.”
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