Twitch Deactivates Controversial Paid Promotion Feature After Pornographic Streams Flood Front Page
Twitch has temporarily deactivated its paid promotion feature, also known as stream “boost,” after the website’s front page was inundated with streams broadcasting pornographic content. This move comes after Twitch streamer TheNoosh22 and others discovered topless women featured on boosted streams with the unmistakable “Promoted by the community” tag.
Multiple Instances of Pornographic Content on Boosted Streams
Although the user responsible for displaying pornographic content was banned, this was not an isolated incident. Streamer reporter Zach Bussey shared another screenshot of a boosted stream showing similar explicit images from a different account. With two such incidents, Twitch decided it was necessary to reevaluate the feature, which has been exploited by trolls. The paid promotion feature is now offline, and there is no information on when it will be reinstated.
Twitch’s Paid Promotion Feature Faces Backlash
The paid promotion feature is a recent addition to Twitch’s services. Users can pay to promote their streams and appear on the platform’s front page. However, this feature has raised concerns about potential misuse and trolling. Many viewers, streamers, and former Twitch employees have voiced their disapproval, fearing it could turn the site into a “pay-to-win” platform. Even popular streamer xQc has strongly condemned the concept. As a result of the backlash, the boost feature has been temporarily suspended.