Twitch has begun rolling out facial age verification for viewers trying to access mature content. Users in select regions now need to complete a “video selfie” face scan before they can watch streams marked as 18+.
The platform partnered with k-ID, a third-party age verification company, to implement the system. When users attempt to view mature content, they’re prompted to take a brief video of their face. Twitch says the facial analysis happens entirely on the user’s device and that neither company stores the video data.
The new requirement appears to target content like gambling streams and channels marked as mature. Some users report being completely blocked from certain streams and redirected to the homepage until they complete verification.
This move comes as governments worldwide push for stricter age controls online. The UK’s Online Safety Act, German youth protection laws, and similar regulations in France and Australia all require platforms to prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content. Several U.S. states have also passed age verification laws targeting adult content.
Twitch already had some age controls in place. Streamers could mark their channels as mature, and the platform restricted certain categories like gambling. But this facial scanning represents a major escalation in verification requirements.
The technology uses machine learning to estimate if someone is over 18 based on their facial features. While Twitch claims the processing happens locally on devices for privacy, many users have expressed discomfort with face scanning just to watch streams.
“I’d rather quit the internet altogether than scan my face for a single website,” one user commented when the feature appeared. Others worry about the security implications, especially given Twitch’s 2021 data breach.
The rollout seems limited for now, with users speculating it’s starting in the UK and potentially expanding to other regions with strict age verification laws. Twitch hasn’t announced which countries are included or provided a full timeline.
For streamers, this could mean smaller audiences for mature content in affected regions. Casual viewers who aren’t logged in might be blocked entirely from watching certain streams. The platform hasn’t clarified whether verification is needed just for viewing or also for chatting.
While Twitch positions this as protecting minors and complying with laws, the face-scanning requirement marks a significant shift in how the platform operates. Users in affected regions will need to decide if watching mature content is worth the privacy trade-off.
