Twitch has just updated its terms of service on deepfake pornography and threatens to permanently ban streamers who broadcast it, even for a brief moment and unintentionally.
Pornographic deepfakes, which consist of showing people’s faces in pornographic videos, are named ” synthetic images of non-consensual exploitation “, Or ” Synthetic NCEIs by the platform. She explains that this decision aims to support the fact that the content is not consented.
Updates to two policies on Twitch
This type of content is already banned on Twitch, and the platform tends to crack down on accounts sharing sexual images, but ” for the sake of clarity and to keep up to date with changing terminology relating to security issues she updates two of her policies.
First, Twitch’s Adult Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Policy now clarifies that the intentional promotion, creation, or sharing of synthetic NCEIs may result in an indefinite suspension, starting on the first offense.
Its adult nudity policy is also affected. It now includes synthetic NCEIs. Even if the image is only shown briefly or to express “ their outrage or disapproval of the content “, it will be deleted and will be subject to a sanction, announces Twitch.
A decision that follows a scandal on the platform
If the streaming platform wanted to clarify things, it is because it was affected by a scandal relating to pornographic deepfakes last January. Streamer Brandon “Atrioc” Ewing left a browser window open during a live stream. Viewers then saw the faces of several popular Twitch streamers grafted onto the bodies of naked women.
If Atrioc has since apologized in a video where he appears in tears, the women concerned have castigated his behavior. For the moment, it is not known if Twitch has decided to sanction Atrioc, and if so, under what conditions.
Sources: Twitch, The Verge
16