Twitch has just removed the nine members of the Safety Advisory Council formed in 2020. The council will still exist, but its members will now be “Ambassadors” (streamers). Although it is not confirmed, this could be another cost reduction measure like others that the platform has carried out recently.
Twitch’s Safety Advisory Council was made up of professionals in areas relevant to promoting improvements in the safety and protection of the rights of marginalized groups within the platform. There were cyberbullying experts, researchers, and some members of the Twitch community itself. However, all were informed earlier this month (May 6) that they would no longer hold their positions.
Twitch just removed all members of its Safety Advisory Council
According to the CNBC report, the contracts of the review board members officially end today (May 31). Additionally, Twitch informed them that they would not receive any payment during the second half of this year. As the source indicates, Twitch’s Safety Advisory Council included names such as Dr. Sameer Hinduja (co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center), Dr. T.L. Taylor (co-founder/director of AnyKey, an organization focused on diversity and inclusion in gaming), and Emma Llansó (director of the Center for Democracy and Technology’s Free Expression Project).
The Safety Advisory Council will continue to exist, but with new members. Twitch sent an email to previous members revealing a little more about their intentions. The email says that the review board “will be primarily composed of people who act as Twitch Ambassadors.” It’s noteworthy that the “Ambassadors” program is made up of streamers. On the other hand, Twitch told The Verge that the decision seeks to offer “new and diverse perspectives.” This after more than three continuous years of work with the previous members.
It could be a cost-cutting decision
That said, Twitch has been carrying out cost-cutting measures lately. At the beginning of this year, the company laid off 35% of its employees. They also reduced streamers’ earnings from Twitch Prime subscriptions. The company has not yet confirmed whether the next members of the Safety Advisory Council will receive a payment.
According to the report, previous members received between $10,000 and $20,000 per year. So, in line with the company’s recent actions, it is possible that the new ones will receive significantly less pay. Or even the platform could ask the chosen Ambassadors to provide their help for free.
2024-06-01 15:08:33