Several streamers caused a stir on Twitch in early December by participating in what has been dubbed the “topless meta.” By using creative camera framing and clothing to give the illusion of nudity, these streamers attracted viral attention and sparked a conversation about sexual content on the platform.

One streamer, Morgpie, was banned for her participation in the topless meta, but not specifically for being topless on stream. This incident reignited the debate over the use of sex appeal by female streamers to gain an advantage, a topic that has sparked controversy and harassment in the past.

Despite the oversized response to the topless meta, it was not as widespread as it appeared. However, Twitch responded to the incident by clarifying and adjusting its rules around sexual content on the platform.

Under the new changes, Twitch will now allow streamers to broadcast content that deliberately highlights breasts, buttocks, or the pelvic region, even when fully clothed. The company admitted that its previous policies were out of line with industry standards and resulted in unfair penalties for female-presenting streamers.

Streamers can also write on their bodies, engage in strip teases, twerking, grinding, and pole dancing, as well as draw fictionalized sexual body parts, as long as it aligns with Twitch’s body art policies.

The response to Twitch’s new policy changes appears to be mostly positive among impacted streamers, especially in the art community, which is celebrating the ability to create art without the fear of a ban.

Despite the controversy surrounding the topless meta, Morgpie herself praised Twitch for the handling of its new guidelines, calling it a “great way to handle this.”