Streaming safety for teens: platform age rules, privacy and settings in the UK

Twitch's age rule: 13, with a parent involved until 18

Twitch's terms of service say the service is not available to anyone under 13, or under a higher minimum age where local law requires one. Anyone between that minimum age and the age of legal majority in their country may only use Twitch under the supervision of a parent or legal guardian who agrees to be bound by the terms.

In the UK the age of majority is 18. In practice, that means a 13 to 17-year-old using Twitch, whether watching with an account or streaming, is expected to have a parent or guardian supervising and accepting responsibility under the terms.

Twitch provides creator safety tools such as AutoMod, which holds potentially harmful chat messages for review, and lets streamers appoint moderators. It also has privacy settings controlling who can send private messages, known as whispers.

YouTube's live rules for under-16s and under-18s

YouTube's terms say you may use the service from age 13, and that under-18s must have a parent or legal guardian's permission. Live streaming has extra rules, set out in YouTube's help centre:

• Under 16: if a minor under 16 takes part in a live stream from an adult's account, the adult must be visibly present. An under-16 can also give an adult access to their channel as editor, manager or owner, so the adult can start the stream from it; the adult must be visibly present and take part as much as the young creator.
• Enforcement: streams with unaccompanied under-16s may be removed or have live chat disabled, and channels that do not comply may lose the ability to live stream.
• 13 to 17: YouTube says the default privacy for mobile live streams by users aged 13 to 17 is unlisted; for adults it is public.

To go live at all, YouTube says a channel must be verified and have had no live-streaming restrictions in the past 90 days.

Kick's terms and other platforms

Kick's terms state that use by anyone under 13, or under the age of digital consent in their country, is strictly prohibited. Under-18s may use the service only with the supervision of a parent or legal guardian and their consent and agreement to the terms; parents who allow a child to use it are bound by the terms too.

Gaming communities also rely on Discord for chat alongside streams. Discord's terms set a minimum age of 13.

Platform rules change, so it is worth checking each service's own terms and help pages before setting up an account. The key pattern across all of them is the same: 13 as a floor, and a parent or guardian expected to be involved for under-18s.

What not to show on stream: a privacy checklist

YouTube's own best-practice advice for young live streamers is a good starting point. It says never to share your full name, age, where you live, your school or your phone number, and to be careful about the background, such as a house number or street sign visible from a window.

A practical pre-stream checklist:

• Username - no real name, birth year or school.
• Camera framing - plain background; no school uniform, post, photos or windows.
• Audio - family members' names and conversations can be overheard.
• Screen - close other apps, notifications and browser tabs before going live.
• Schedule - avoid announcing exactly when you are home alone.
• Game lobbies - in-game names and friends lists can reveal more than intended.

The UK Safer Internet Centre reminds families that live broadcasts cannot be edited, and what viewers have already seen cannot be erased.

Chat, private messages and strangers

Live streams attract viewers the streamer does not know. The UK Safer Internet Centre advises using privacy settings to control who can contact children, and encouraging them to think carefully about why an unknown person might want to video chat. It says children should know they can always say no, end a chat or broadcast, and talk to a trusted adult.

Useful settings to review together:

• Private messages - restrict who can message the account on Twitch, YouTube and Discord.
• Chat filters - turn on automatic moderation and blocked-word lists.
• Moderators - only trusted people, ideally known offline.
• Follower or subscriber-only chat - slows down drive-by abuse.

The NSPCC also publishes advice on livestreaming and online video apps for parents. The UK Safer Internet Centre suggests families may decide that devices used for live streaming and video chat should not be kept in bedrooms.

It also helps to agree a plan for bad moments in advance, such as ending the stream immediately if chat turns unpleasant, rather than trying to argue with viewers live.

Money, gifts and pressure from viewers

Streams involve money in both directions. Viewers may be encouraged to subscribe, gift subscriptions or pay to highlight chat messages. Streamers may receive gifts or donations from viewers they do not know.

For teenage streamers, it is worth agreeing in advance:

• No accepting gifts, game codes or money from viewers without a parent knowing.
• No moving conversations to private apps because a viewer asks.
• No spending on other streams without permission, and no saved cards on a child's account.

Any request that feels like pressure, such as offering money to do something on camera, is a reason to end the stream and tell an adult. The UK Safer Internet Centre warns that content from live streams can be recorded by viewers and used to threaten or blackmail young people.

UK law, reporting routes and where to get help

Ofcom's Protection of Children Codes under the Online Safety Act came into force on 25 July 2025, requiring in-scope online services to take steps to protect children in the UK. Ofcom has also proposed further measures aimed at risks to children from livestreaming.

If something goes wrong:

1. Save evidence such as usernames and screenshots, without sharing images of a child.
2. Block and report on the platform.
3. Get advice from the UK Safer Internet Centre or the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.
4. Report child sexual abuse material anonymously to the Internet Watch Foundation.
5. Call 999 if a child is in immediate danger.

For a gentler start, many teens record and upload instead of streaming; see our family guide to speedrunning for that approach, and how game streaming works for the technical basics.