Twitch Ambassadors will take the position of all nine council members in this new situation.
In the year 2020, Twitch established the Safety Advisory Council by recruiting individuals who were knowledgeable about cyberbullying, web researchers, and members of the community. The review board was established in order to provide assistance in the formulation of new policies, the creation of goods that enhance safety, and the protection of the interests of underrepresented groups. It has been reported by CNBC that the streaming website has dismissed all of the members of the council on its platform. In a meeting that took place on May 6, Twitch reportedly informed the nine members that their current contracts would expire on May 31 and that they would not be receiving payment for the second half of 2024. The meeting was convened to inform them of the situation.
One of the members of the Safety Advisory Council is Dr. Sameer Hinduja, who is also the co-director of the Cyber Bullying Research Center. Another member is Dr. T.L. Taylor, who is the co-founder and director of AnyKey, an organization that promotes diversity and inclusion in the realm of video games and esports. Emma Llansó, who is the director of the Free Expression Project for the Center for Democracy and Technology, is another somebody you might consider.
Reportedly, Twitch informed the members that going forward, “the Safety Advisory Council will primarily be made up of individuals who serve as Twitch Ambassadors.” This information was conveyed to the members through an email. In spite of the fact that it did not name any individuals, the Amazon subsidiary referred to its Ambassadors as individuals who “positively contribute to the Twitch community.” These Ambassadors are described as individuals who “become role models for their community, establish new content genres, and have inspirational stories that empower those around them.”
Following years of collaboration with the same core members, Twitch trust and safety communications manager Elizabeth Busby stated in a statement that the new council members will “offer [the website]fresh, diverse perspectives.” Busby made this statement in response to a question posed by The Verge website. “We’re excited to work with our global Twitch Ambassadors, all of whom are active on Twitch, know our safety work first hand, and have a range of experiences to pull from,” Busby stated in addition.
It is not known whether the Ambassadors who will be taking the position of the current council members will be compensated for their services or whether they will be expected to freely provide assistance to the corporation. In the event that the latter is the case, then this new development might represent a decision to reduce expenses: According to CNBC, the members who are leaving received annual compensation ranging from $10,000 to $20,000. In addition, Twitch terminated the employment of 35 percent of its personnel in January in order to “cut costs” and “build a more economically sustainable business.” Additionally, during the same month, it decreased the amount of money that streamers make from each and every Twitch Prime subscription that they produce.