Behind the spotlight and fame on livestream platforms, the darker side of being a streamer often hides stories of pressure, sacrifices, and even terrible coercion. Recently, the online community was shaken by accusations from a female streamer. She openly revealed that her manager forced her into being a “slave” to views, pushing her to create inappropriate and explicit content just to get famous.
The Pressure to “Clickbait” and Shocking Accusations
According to the streamer, she started livestreaming with passion and hopes of building an honest career. At first, everything went well, but after a while, when her viewer count didn’t grow as expected, pressure from the company and especially her direct manager began to weigh heavily on her.
The manager, a man, constantly pushed her to change her content. He suggested and even forced her to do “crazy” things, wear revealing outfits, and use provocative gestures and words to grab attention.
“Your character is to bait views,”
“Anyway, it’s all about views. Without them, where would the engagement come from?”
“Those b*tches…”
These are some of the messages shared in a work chat group that several female streamers provided to reporters at Cover News. They said these kinds of words were common when working at the MCN streamer company. On top of that, they were told to dress in ways that attract viewers, perform trending dances, and were even unknowingly forced to use Japanese adult film music as their livestream background.
When someone spoke up against this management style, the male manager told them to “expand their mindset” and said, “Anyway, it’s all about views. Without them, where would the engagement come from?”
The manager exploited the inexperience and hunger for fame of these young women for profit. They pushed streamers down the wrong path, ignoring risks to their image, reputation, and even safety. The victims suffered emotional damage and faced the risk of career ruin if they didn’t comply.
Tricky Contracts and Unfair Terms
Last July, several recent female university graduates signed contracts with the MCN company to become streamers in the company’s female group. Members came and went, but only five remained, including Tiểu Hạ and her friends: “Three just graduated, one is a senior in college, and the last is 17 years old.”
In April this year, the female streamer group was disbanded by the MCN company due to poor business results. Members began looking for new jobs. Soon after, they were informed they were being sued by the company for contract violations and faced demands for hundreds of millions of dong in compensation from their “old home.”
The contracts the girls shared with Cover News reporters showed that from the start, the company set rules: If a streamer’s annual income exceeded a certain amount, the contract would automatically renew for a set number of years. Or if the streamer didn’t notify the company in writing three months before the contract ended about not renewing, the contract would automatically extend.
After the contract expires, the company has priority to renew under the same conditions. Streamers must notify the company in writing about continuing cooperation. Only if the company refuses or doesn’t respond within 60 working days can the streamer negotiate with third parties. The new cooperation terms can’t be better than the old company’s.
In this case, the streamer must send the third-party cooperation plan to the old company. The old company has the right to replace the new company and sign the contract with the streamer within a certain number of working days after receiving the new plan, under the same terms.
If the contract ends but there’s unpaid income or unfinished projects, the contract period automatically extends until everything is settled. During this time, the streamer can’t authorize another organization to take over and must notify the old company of all income, sharing earnings according to the old contract.
The contract also states all accounts belong to the company and sets minimum monthly livestream days, daily livestream hours, the number and quality of short videos to post daily, and income sharing methods. If streamer gift income drops 30% or more compared to the highest month for two consecutive months, the company can adjust income shares or stop payments.
The contract is confidential. If a streamer reveals its contents, they must pay a 500 million VND penalty. If this isn’t enough to cover the company’s losses, the streamer must compensate further.
Tiểu Hạ, a recent graduate, said the contract was nine pages long. She didn’t read the terms carefully when signing and was held by the company until the group disbanded and she got it back. She said, “Now reading these terms, I still don’t fully understand what they mean.”
Another member, Tiểu Thu, also sued, said she only got her contract back after the group disbanded and still hasn’t read it carefully. Because she didn’t understand it, she showed it to a lawyer. The lawyer found the contract was missing the third page and later obtained the full contract from the court.
“The lawyer said the contract had hidden clauses allowing only the company to unilaterally terminate it, not us. Even if declared disbanded, if the company doesn’t agree to end it in writing and payment issues remain, we can’t find new jobs. Even after the contract expires and we want to work elsewhere, the old company can still claim the right to sign a contract under the agreement.”
The Streamer’s Accusation Is a Stark Warning for Young People Considering This Path
Fame isn’t everything: Recklessly chasing fame might bring quick success but usually isn’t sustainable. “Dirty” content can attract instant views but will soon tire audiences and turn them away.
Be careful who you trust: Streamers should thoroughly research management companies and colleagues. Don’t easily believe empty promises and always stand firm, never letting anyone force you to go against your personal values.
Protect yourself: Always equip yourself with legal knowledge and know how to defend yourself. If pressured, be brave to speak out and seek help from the community.
Source: 163.com
