Twitch's biggest topic these last weeks has, without a doubt, been the "hot tub stream meta". As Twitch's terms of service allow streamers to wear clothing like bikinis in "appropriate" settings, some creators have taken to using hot tubs (or paddling pools) in their content. The platform's biggest hot tub streamer, Kaitlyn 'Amouranth' Siragusa has recently had issues with Twitch's policies as the site has removed her ability to make money using advertising - a move that fellow popular streamer xQc thinks might have saved other streamers.
Twitch taking away Amouranth's ability to make money on her channel has been worrying streamers. According to the creator, there was no warning given before the demonetisation, and streamers of all shapes and sizes are now concerned with what sort of precedent that sets for Twitch. Without warning, the platform could potentially demonetise anyone if it deems their content inappropriate even if it's inside ToS.
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xQc, one of Twitch's biggest creators, sympathises with how scary that issue is, but he believes Amouranth is a scapegoat to save other streamers out there. As reported by Dexerto, the ex-Overwatch pro says: "I think people should chill out for at least a couple of days until there's [official] communication because you need to understand that this is a big topic. This means that things are a little bit adaptive."
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He goes on to say that because there are a lot of people doing the same content she does, if one (Amouranth) is found to be acting against terms of services and is banned, there would be a slew of bans, or audiences calling for bans. xQc says: "A lot of people do the same content that she does. And if everybody does the same content, and something was [against] terms of service, if one got banned, you guys would all say, 'Look at the other guys that aren't being banned.' But now that this is against her and she loses her ads, nobody is saying, 'But what about the other guys? Why aren't they losing their ads?'"
The streamer goes on to say that ultimately he thinks Amouranth is a scapegoat for advertising. xQc says: "I'm not going to lie. This is my true take. This might have saved everybody from losing their ads. This might be a scapegoat for all of us." He finishes the line with a fake cheer at the end.
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YouTube had a massive issue with demonetisation back in 2017, after advertisers pulled money away from the site following accusations of antisemitism against popular creator PewDiePie. It caused a massive issue with monetisation for content creators across the board, and YouTube has since prioritised family-friendly content over videos with more adult themes, giving the former better ad revenue. This move from Twitch could be the start of a similar process of steering streamers towards content that large advertisers would be happy to see their brands on.
Featured Image Credit: Amouranth (via Twitch) / xQc