- Twitch Now Asks UK Users to Perform Face Age Verification Scan
- The platform already has a minimum age (13+) to create an account
- Verification is an additional requirement for watching content “harmful to minors”
Twitch has just started rolling out mandatory user age verification in the UK. This is one of the most significant compliance changes to the platform to date.
Viewers trying to watch adult or 18+ content, which includes categories such as sexual themes and drunkenness, will need to do a face scan. They will only be able to continue watching once they confirm they are 18 or older.
Twitch already has a minimum age requirement to register on the platform. Users under the age of 13 cannot have an account. This new policy raises an additional level of privacy concerns for users under 18.
The new policy is being introduced as a way of complying with the UK’s Online Safety Act, which requires a host of websites to comply mandatory age verification checks to grant access to content deemed “harmful” to minors.
Similar measures have already sparked a surge in downloads of some top VPN services, with many privacy-conscious users turning to these tools to avoid sharing their sensitive data.
Age verification on Twitch: what changes for British users
UK users will now be required to perform a facial scan in order to watch certain content on Twitch. The Amazon-owned platform partners with a third-party provider, k-ID, to comply with UK security regulations.
You will be asked to verify your age, whether you are a new or existing user. The prompt will appear when creating a new account, logging in, and before watching content type that requires age verification.
Completing the verification process requires access to the camera. Twitch’s partner, k-ID, will scan your face to estimate your age. To pass the check, you will need to be in a well-lit area and remove your headgear.
Popular live streaming platform @Twitch plans to introduce facial scanning for age verification purposes in the UK, to allow its users to watch certain streams. Hopefully they’ll be more careful than Discord about leaking anyone’s passports this time around. pic.twitter.com/IdDY5F1TIpNovember 19, 2025
What are the risks to privacy?
Twitch ensures that k-ID performs the entire facial estimation process on your device and does not store your photos or videos. However, this change still introduces some privacy concerns, and many users are objecting to it on platforms like X or Reddit.
Since implementation in July, experts have warned of the risks the UK’s age verification system poses to citizens’ privacy and security.
From face scans to credit checks, Brits are being asked to share some of their most sensitive data with third-party services, hoping they will take good care of it. However, as the Discord hack once again showed, Big Data leads to significant leaks.
These dangers have caused a dramatic increase in demand for VPN services in the UK. In the days after the age verification requirement went into effect, ProtonVPN reported a 1,400% increase in signups due to concerns over the age verification rules.
However, many Brits have also turned to insecure freebies to get the job done, but are actually putting their data at even greater risk.
So, if you are looking for a way to protect your privacy on Twitch, I recommend getting only the best free VPNs, like Proton VPN Free. Keep in mind that you will need to upgrade for greater usability. But, with Black Friday just around the corner, now is the best time to do it…
