Twitch labelled 'predator paradise' for lack of guard rails for kids

Teenagers using Twitch are at risk of falling victim to predators, according to researchers pointing to the risks of younger people being able to receive money from strangers on the live-streaming platform. — Photo: Silas Stein/dpa

WASHINGTON: The live-streaming platform Twitch is endangering children by allowing them to "interact with adult strangers and donate money" without parental consent or supervision, according to researchers at the annual American Academy of Pediatrics conference.

A "significant proportion" of teenage users on Twitch are "willing to reveal personal information despite having no knowledge of who might be listening," the researchers found.