What are the positives?

Lots of young people enjoy watching livestreams from their friends as well as popular online personalities. Some young people host their own livestreams, which can be an easy way to broadcast live video footage to their friends and followers.

What are the risks?

When something is live you can never know exactly what you will see or hear – always talk to an adult you know and trust if you see or hear something upsetting. Lots of livestreaming services also have a chat function for interaction and you could be talking to people who you do not know. It’s important to be aware of what you are sharing, making sure you don’t reveal any personal information.

Top 5 Tips to a safe livestreaming!

• Decide who you share your livestream with. Think about who may be able to join and view your livestream and make use of privacy settings to manage this.

• Protect your personal information when livestreaming – remember things can be easily given away by what you say or show on video or from clues in the background.

• Think carefully before watching a livestream. Remember you can never know exactly what you will see or hear. 

• Report any inappropriate behavior. Try to get a screenshot of the content before it expires and remember to speak to an adult you trust too. 

• Use livestreaming in a positive way. As well as your own digital footprint and online reputation, always think about how your livestream will affect your viewers or other people who are captured on the video. 

Video Chat and Webcams

Live video chat and streaming has become a keyway for people to connect, communicate and share their ideas and experiences online. 

What do I need to know?

There are a huge number of positive uses for using video chat services and webcams as tools for communication. Technology allows sites, apps, and services to access your webcam and so its important to be selective to minimize the risks associated with webcams and video chatting.