What it is
LiveMe is a livestreaming app. People broadcast to an audience that can comment and send virtual gifts bought with real money. The gifts are the point: attention is rewarded, and the audience is not limited to friends.
That economy is a poor fit for a child. Adults can watch, pay, and ask for more. A young person can feel they are doing well because the gifts are going up. Remove the app if you find it.
What to look out for
- Broadcasts from a bedroom or in school uniform.
- Gifts, coins, or cash-out talk.
- Comments that mention their body, their age, or meeting up.
- A second account used only for streams.
- Headphones and a closed door at odd hours.
Ways to stay safe
These steps are for LiveMe. The house rules still apply on every app.
- Remove the app.
- Ask whether anyone has sent gifts or asked them to do something on camera.
- If an adult has paid them or asked for sexual content, use the help page. Do not take the money into a confrontation.
- Keep livestreaming, if it happens at all, to platforms where you have set family controls and you know the audience.
In the news
Published reports you can read yourself. A headline is the proof, not a set of instructions, and this page does not repeat graphic detail.
- Ofcom looks at limits on gifts and recording a child’s livestream This BBC report is about Ofcom’s plans for livestreams and virtual gifts. It does not name LiveMe. LiveMe is a livestream app where strangers can watch and tip a child.
A way to start the conversation
Say that gifts from strangers on a live video are not a compliment. They are a way for an adult to buy access. Ask if that has already started.
Video
LiveMe parent briefing
A short video for this guide can be added by an editor. Until then, the written briefing above is the one to use.