Live streaming

Live streaming lets you create, watch and share videos in real time. There are lots of dedicated live streaming apps but most social media platforms let you live stream now too.

Many people use it to:

• Advertise and sell products
• Campaign about issues
• Share ideas with an audience
• Entertain others

1. Take a moment to think. Think about if what you are doing is something you are happy with sharing. You should only do things that you feel comfortable with. Plan what you will do before pressing record. When we don’t have the ability to edit and tweak, or start over again, we can unintentionally give too much away.
2. Think about who is watching. Check your privacy settings and make sure only people you know and trust can see your live stream. Think about turning off your location settings so people watching can’t track where you are.
3. Take action if you see something that upsets you. Some people use live streaming to record crimes and behaviour that could be harmful to another person. If you see a live video that upsets or worries you, stop watching and tell an adult you trust who can help you to report the video.
4. Make sure you have permission. It can be tempting to live stream events you see when you’re out and about which might include other people. Think about how you might feel if someone recorded you without your knowledge, especially if it is embarrassing or upsetting. You should only show people who have given you permission to film them. Creating or sharing a video to intentionally embarrass or hurt someone is bullying.

Some apps let viewers comment on the live stream as it’s happening. Some people use this feature to put pressure on young people to do things they normally wouldn’t. This includes encouraging young people to act in a sexual way or remove their clothes on video.

They may encourage young people to do things by:

• Offering gifts or money
• Giving lots of compliments for doing what they say
• Using a different accounts to write comments asking to do something

The young person in the video can feel pressured to respond to these kind of comments or do what people are asking them to.

Pressuring young people in this way is illegal and is a form of online blackmail.