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Predators are finding new ways to track kids. Children turning increasingly to live streaming platforms like Twitch to share their lives with the world are dragging themselves towards great danger.
According to a new report from the BBC, some child predators are using specialized software to record and save streams of young children. They then use these recordings to identify personal information like addresses and phone numbers—Twitch has 33.2 million users.
The BBC report cites several experts who say this problem will only worsen as more children begin live streaming. They also said, “Seeing kids doing live streaming on Twitch is nothing strange anymore, And once you have their information, it’s not hard to find where they live.”
In one case highlighted by the BBC, a 15-year-old girl was being stalked by an adult man who had used this method to track her down.
Twitch has responded to the BBC report, saying, “It takes safety on our platform extremely seriously.” The company shared that it is working on advanced tools to help keep young people safe but did not provide any specifics.
In an emailed statement, a Twitch spokesperson wrote, “Preventing child harm is one of our core societal responsibilities. Children under 13 are not permitted to access Twitch. Hence, preventing our service from being used for harm is one of our biggest priorities.” He added, “We know that online platforms can be misused to harm children, and for the last two years, we have invested a huge amount in staying ahead of bad actors and preventing any users under 13 from accessing Twitch.”
The rise of child predators using live-streaming platforms to track victims highlights the need for better safety measures on these sites. It also underscores the importance of parents monitoring their children’s online activity. Be aware of your child’s online activities and keep a strict check to protect them from danger.
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