Twitch, in response to action against hot tub streamers, promises not to discriminate against 'sexy' people

• Twitch published a blog post on Friday in response to a trend of users streaming from hot tubs while wearing bikinis.
• The company admitted that advertisements had been pulled from some accounts at brands' requests.
• Twitch said "being found to be sexy by others is not against our rules," and said it was creating a new category for users.

In response to ads being demonetized from some Twitch users who were streaming from hot tubs while wearing bikinis - including prominent streamer "Amouranth" - the company promised it won't take action against "sexy" people.

"While we have guidelines about sexually suggestive content, being found to be sexy by others is not against our rules, and Twitch will not take enforcement action against women, or anyone on our service, for their perceived attractiveness," the company said in a blog post on Friday.

Twitch released the statement after streamer Kaitlyn Siragusa, who goes by the name Amouranth online, said her account had been demonetized by the platform after she streamed in an inflatable hot tub while wearing a bikini.

Complimentary Tech Event

Transform talent with learning that works

Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

In the blog post published on its website on Friday, Twitch said that brands get to "decide where and when their ads appear" on the website, and had suspended ads from some creators channels following requests from advertisers.

The company said it would work with creators on an individual basis to address concerns and restore ads "where appropriate."

Twitch also said it's creating a new category called "Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches," in which swimwear will be a "contextual exception" to its nudity and attire policy.

"This is not intended to be our long-term solution to improve brand targeting capabilities and increase personalization in our recommendations," Twitch said. "It does, however, solve a few issues for all audiences in the near term. Creators can continue to stream content that falls into this category as long as it doesn't violate our guidelines. Viewers can better avoid recommendations for content that they don't want to see, and those wishing to view this content will have an easier time finding it."