The Dutch Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP) has advised Twitch users to opt out of sharing data with Amazon AI.
Twitch launched as a live-video platform and is currently owned by Amazon. Its core product is live broadcasting with a built-in chat culture: streamers broadcast gameplay, commentary, performances or other live content while viewers interact in real time.
Twitch is one of the world’s largest livestreaming platforms, with millions of people broadcasting and watching content every month.
Last week we learned that Twitch allows Amazon to use content from its platform to train generative AI models, with the setting enabled by default. Chief Product Officer Mike Minton said during an interview:
“If it’s opt-in, nobody would opt in. That’s the honest answer. So, it’s going to be on by default.”
So, to get this straight: they know users don’t want it, yet users are opted in by default and they make it difficult to opt out.
The AP argues that:
“Live streams on Twitch show the gamer’s face, voice and name, and often include images of a private space, such as a bedroom. This constitutes personal data. In the case of facial images, this even involves sensitive personal data. Once these data are stored in Amazon’s AI systems, they cannot simply be removed. As a result, users lose control over their data. Users’ chats and text messages also serve as training material for Amazon.”
Obviously, Twitch users were outraged when they learned about the assumed consent. The setting is in the Streamer Dashboard under Settings > Security and Privacy, near the bottom of the page. That is the basis for reporting that it was difficult to find.
Wait, it gets worse. Ars Technica says the AI training itself isn’t new. What’s new is the option to opt out. That setting arrived more than two years after a company executive confirmed that Amazon was using Twitch content for AI training.
In April 2024, Minton said Amazon was using Twitch content to prototype AI models, although not yet at “production scale.”
How to turn it off
The setting is enabled by default. To turn it off, go to: Settings > Security and Privacy > scroll down to Training for Generative AI, and turn the setting off.
“Allow your channel content to train generative AI content models of Amazon. Turning this off does not opt you out of Twitch and Amazon using your channel content for other purposes described in the Twitch Privacy Notice, including using AI-supported Twitch features that benefit the community by facilitating streamer growth and monetization (such as real-time sponsorship campaign assistance), viewer discovery (such as recommendations), and community safety (such as AutoMod).”
Note that if you post in another streamer’s chat, whether that chat can be used for AI training depends on that streamer’s setting, not yours. So turning off the option on your own channel does not necessarily stop everything you write on Twitch from becoming training material.
There’s an old saying that “if you’re not a paying customer, you’re the product,” but that shouldn’t be an excuse to disregard users’ privacy or assume consent. We agree with the AP: If you have a Twitch channel and don’t want your content used to train Amazon’s generative AI models, turn the setting off.
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