Skip to main content

Twitch is launching an advisory council that includes top streamers in the wake of months of criticism over controversial bans

* Twitch has formed a Safety Advisory Council to help the live-streaming platform create and shape its policies.  * The eight-person board includes Twitch streamers, non-profit executives, and professors.  * The news comes after months of criticism from users of the platform who say Twitch is too strict with nudity and doles out undue bans.  * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Twitch, the Amazon-owned live-streaming platform popular among esports stars and video gamers, has announced a new Safety Advisory Council to help "inform and guide" policies. The board will not make moderation decisions, according to a representative, but will help shape the platform's policies on bans, nudity, age limits, and inappropriate behavior, among other things.  CohhCarnage, Cupahnoodle, FerociouslySteph, and Zizaran are hugely popular Twitch streamers who make up half of the eight-person board, as announced on May 14. The group also includes Alex Holmes, the deputy CEO at The Diana Award, a non-profit organization founded in the memory of Princess Diana that focuses on young people and how they can change the world; Emma Llansó, the director of the Center for Democracy & Technology's Free Expression Project and an expert on free speech and how it pertains to the internet; Sameer Hinduja, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Florida Atlantic University and co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center; and T.L. Taylor, a professor of Comparative Media Studies at MIT and the co-founder and Director of Research for AnyKey, which supports inclusion in esports.  "When developing this council we felt it was essential to include both experts who can provide an external perspective, as well as Twitch streamers who deeply understand creators' unique challenges and viewpoints," the company said in a press release. "We will continue to invest in tools, products, and policies that promote the safety and wellbeing of everyone on Twitch."  The announcement follows Facebook's decision to employ an independent advisory board to provide oversight on difficult topics including hate speech and harassment. Unlike Twitch's board, the Facebook Oversight Board will "make final and binding decisions on whether specific content should be allowed or removed from Facebook and Instagram," according to an op-ed written by co-chairs of the board for The New York Times.  The news also comes after months of criticism from users of the platform who say Twitch is too strict with its nudity policies and often hands out undue bans to its streamers. MizzyRose, a 22-year-old body painter from British Columbia who has more than 140,000 Twitch followers, voiced frustration over her own one-day suspension on Twitter in April.  In a tweet, which has since been deleted, she said that she'd done "nothing wrong" to deserve the strike. "Someone is wrongfully banning on Twitch's end," she said. Others who have criticized bans over nudity include Alinity Divine and RiceGum.  Last month, apparently in response to some of the backlash, Twitch announced extremely specific guidelines over nudity. "For those who present as women, we ask that you cover your nipples. We do not permit exposed underbust. Cleavage is unrestricted as long as these coverage requirements are met," the company said in a press release.  Zizaran, one of the four Twitch partners on the board, "looks forward to helping Twitch make rules clearer and reducing community confusion, specifically when it comes to bans and suspensions on the platform," according to Twitch's press release.  * Read more: * A body painter says she was wrongfully suspended from Twitch for nudity despite the platform's rules providing exceptions for art * Twitch suspended a controversial streamer after she accidentally showed her nipple during a broadcast * Popular YouTuber RiceGum hosted a Twitch livestream that seemingly got him banned for nudity and called out by his ex-girlfriend * How to subscribe to a channel on Twitch to show your support and unlock exclusive features Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Why Pikes Peak is the most dangerous racetrack in America
https://bit.ly/2Lq84ID

Popular posts from this blog

A full breakdown of what channels you get with every Sling TV package, plus all the add-ons

  * Sling is one of the most affordable cord-cutting services on the market, offering two packages —  Orange and Blue — with 30+ channels starting at $30 a month or combined for $45 a month. * Orange offers the Disney Channel and ESPN, while Blue offers a slate of Fox channels, NBC, Bravo, and Discovery. Both Orange and Blue offer CNN, TBS, Food Network, and BBC America. * You can also add on multi-channel packages, like Sports Extras, Kids Extras, or News Extras, starting at $5 a month. Premium add-ons, like Showtime, Starz, and Epix, are also available for an additional monthly charge.  * If you're new to Sling TV, you can receive a free 14-day trial for a limited time. * Here's a complete breakdown of the channels offered on each Sling package.    If you're hoping to get the most bang for your buck once you cut the cord with your cable subscription, Sling is one of the most affordable live streaming services on the market.  The service has two packages with ...
Read more

Here's an exclusive look at the pitch deck London fintech Lanistar used to raise $19 million at a $190 million valuation

* London-based fintech startup Lanistar has raised a £15 million ($19 million) funding round from Milaya Capital.  * Founded in 2019, Lanistar is building a personal financial management platform that will launch later in 2020.  * "We're expecting a huge amount of growth upon our launch and have already seen strong interest among our sign ups," Gurhan Kiziloz, founder and CEO of Lanistar, told Business Insider. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.  The coronavirus lockdown in the UK has brought the importance of managing money into sharp relief. A recent study from Money.com shows that 71% of UK households have saved cash during lockdown, and, with uncertainty about jobs and the economy looming, money management is now front of mind for many. Lanistar, a banking platform with a focus on personal finance, is one company offering tools for consumers to better manage their money. It has just raised a £15 million ($19 million) funding round from Mil...
Read more

Why an early exec quit unicorn food delivery startup Deliveroo to launch a food business in the middle of a pandemic

* A former Deliveroo exec has launched a market food hall startup in the middle of COVID-19. * Dan Warne was managing director of the unicorn startup until 2019, but has now launched Sessions Market as a community food hall concept to rejuvenate UK towns after the pandemic. * Warne says he hopes to bring his experience from Deliveroo, particularly about customer behavior, to the analogue world of food halls. * The first venue, Shelter Hall on Brighton seafront, launches July 4. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. On Saturday, the UK's bars, restaurants, and cinemas will fling their doors open to customers for the first time since a strict lockdown commenced in late March. Given continued public health concerns around the coronavirus pandemic, it might be unwise to open a new food business right now. But Dan Warne, a former high-level executive at British unicorn startup Deliveroo, has launched Sessions Market, a series of community-orientated food hal...
Read more