Twitch, the popular live-streaming platform, has immediately removed its newly released Branded Content Guidelines in a surprising turn of events. The decision came after the guidelines were met with significant backlash from the platform’s users, according to a Twitter thread from the company.
The guidelines intended to regulate how users work with sponsors to monetize their streams were deemed detrimental to both the users and the platform. Twitch acknowledged this in its Twitter thread: “These guidelines are bad for you and for Twitch, and we are removing them immediately.”
The company further emphasized the importance of sponsorships for streamers’ growth and income generation. It assured users that it would not hinder their ability to establish direct relationships with sponsors and that they would continue to have control over their sponsorship business.
Twitch also expressed its commitment to working with its community to create the best experience on the platform. It acknowledged the need for transparency about its actions and the reasons behind them and appreciated the community’s feedback, which led to this change.
However, the thread also attracted some criticism. Some users pointed out that Twitch’s decision seemed to be driven more by its own financial interests rather than the welfare of its streamers. Others questioned the effectiveness of the platform’s creator program, given that none of the streamers involved had flagged the potential issues with the guidelines.
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