Twitch introduces facial age scans in the UK despite privacy concerns

• Twitch now asks UK users to complete a facial age verification scan
• The platform already has a minimum age (13+) to make an account
• The verification is an added requirement to watch “harmful to minors” content

Twitch has just begun rolling out mandatory age verification for users in the UK. This marks one of the platform’s biggest compliance changes to date.

Viewers trying to watch mature or 18+ content, which includes categories such as sexual themes and intoxication, will need to complete a face scan. They will only be able to keep watching once they’re confirmed to be 18 or above.

Twitch already has a minimum age requirement to sign up for the platform. Users under 13 can’t have an account. This new policy raises an extra layer of privacy concerns for users under 18.

The new policy is being introduced as a way to comply with the UK Online Safety Act, which requires a host of websites to perform mandatory age verification checks to grant access to content deemed “harmful” for minors.

Similar enforcements have previously sparked a rise in downloads for some of the best VPN services, with many privacy-conscious users turning to these tools to avoid sharing their sensitive data.

Age verification on Twitch − what changes for UK users

Users in the UK will now have to complete a facial scan to be able to watch certain content on Twitch. The Amazon-owned platform is teaming up with a third-party vendor, k-ID, to comply with UK safety rules.

You’ll be asked to verify your age, no matter if you’re a new or existing user. The prompt will come up when creating a new account, logging in, and prior to watching the kind of content that requires an age check.

According to Twitch’s Help page, restricted content includes content centered around sexual themes, drugs, tobacco use, intoxication, violence, and gambling.

Completing the verification process requires camera access. Twitch’s partner k-ID will scan your face to estimate your age. To successfully pass the check, you’ll need to be in a well-lit area and remove headwear.

What are the risks for privacy?

Twitch assures that k-ID carries out the entire facial estimation process on your device and doesn’t store your photos or videos. However, this change still introduces some privacy concerns, and many users speak up against it on platforms like X or Reddit.

“After Discord leaked all those passport photos, I think I’ll pass,” said one Reddit user. “Looks like I won’t be watching in the future,” added another.

Since the July implementation, experts have been warning against the risks that the UK’s age verification system poses to citizens’ privacy and security.

From face scans to credit checks, Britons are asked to share some of their most sensitive data with third-party services, hoping they will take good care of it. Yet, as the Discord hack has shown again, from big data comes big leaks.

These dangers have caused a dramatic surge in demand for VPN services in the UK. In the days after the age-verification requirement kicked in, ProtonVPN reported a 1,400% increase in signups amid concern about age-verification rules.

Many Brits, however, also turned towards insecure freebies to get the job done, but actually put their data at even more risk.

So, if you’re looking for a way to protect your privacy on Twitch, I recommend getting only the best free VPNs, like Proton VPN Free. Bear in mind that you’ll need to upgrade for greater usability. But, with Black Friday only a stone away, now it’s the best time to do so…

Read more @ TechRadar