What it is
Twitch is where people watch other people play games, talk, and sometimes perform. The main risk is the chat and the private whisper, not the game on screen. Strangers can message a child who posts in chat or who streams from their bedroom.
Subscriptions and bits cost money. A child can spend, or be asked to.
What to look out for
- Whispers from people they only know as a username.
- Their own livestream with a camera on.
- Donations or a saved card.
- Chat that turns sexual or that asks them to join a Discord server.
Ways to stay safe
These steps are for Twitch. The house rules still apply on every app.
- Use a username that is not their real name.
- Turn off whispers from strangers.
- Remove payment methods. Watching a stream should not need a card.
- If they stream, it happens where you can see the room, with the camera off unless you have agreed otherwise.
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 The regulator’s proposals include stopping people sending virtual gifts to a child’s livestream.
- Twitter/X, Twitch and Discord fell short on child-exploitation questions A legal transparency report. X did not answer key questions. Twitch and Discord were in the same notice.
A way to start the conversation
You can say: "You can watch. You do not have to answer a whisper. If someone wants you on another app, or wants a picture, that is when you come and get me."
Video
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.