In these hours theApp di Twitch has momentarily Boost Train function suspended, launched last month with the goal of allowing creators to pay to promote streams. The reason? The option allowed the porn content to end up on the Home Page, complete with a label that reads “promoted by the community of streamers”. And with clear miniatures that were anything but suitable for a young audience. In short, a huge epic fail for the platform, which tried to immediately run for cover.
Twitch: App suspends the Boost Train option that pushed porn content into the Home
In the past few days, many users have shared on Twitter and Reddit images showing screenshots with pornographic miniatures appeared in the “Live Channels We Think You’ll Like” section of the Twitch App. Apparently, this sensational error would be due to the introduction of the Boost Train function, launched by the platform last year and still in an experimental phase. The option, in fact, would allow creators to pay to increase the coverage of shared content. Including those deemed sensitive for users of the App.
In the last few hours, therefore, three pornographic content accounts have ended up on the Twitch Home Page. And they were consequently banned for violating Community Guidelines. At this point, the platform has “decided to pause Boost Train due to some safety considerations that emerged during the experiment”, as it announced. Sam Faught, Twitch Chief of Communications. Specifying that the platform “will share further updates with the community on new features to improve availability, if available”.
In short, although the platform did not explicitly explain why it decided to suspend the option, it is clear that this choice has to do with the pornographic thumbnails that ended up on the Home Page. As we all know, Twitch prohibits “Nudity and sexually explicit content or activities”. And, apparently, the miniatures contained everything that is prohibited by the rules of the App. No wonder, then, that the platform has chosen to say goodbye to the Boost Train option. After all, someone had to take the blame for what happened.