This research was commissioned to examine the motivations, experiences, benefits and risks of livestreaming to children. We undertook qualitative research to speak directly with children and young people about their experiences of livestreaming, and quantitative research to help understand the wider context of livestreaming behaviours among children overall
The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out duties for regulated online services to protect users from illegal content and, where services are likely to be accessed by children, from content that is harmful to them. In response, Ofcom has published Codes of Practice and guidance to support compliance. As regulation develops, Ofcom is continuing to build its understanding of how children interact with specific online features and functionalities, including those that may present heightened risks Livestreaming has been identified by Ofcom to be high risk online functionality for children, as identified in the illegal harms (and PoC) registers of risk, largely due to its real‑time nature. Our children’s media literacy research shows that livestreaming is a relatively common activity among children, and that some children create their own livestreams. This combination of prevalence and perceived risk highlighted the need for deeper evidence.
To add to our evidence base, Ofcom commissioned a programme of quantitative and qualitative research exploring children’s experiences of livestreaming. These studies and accompanying reports examine motivations, experiences, benefits, and risks, providing a rounded picture of how children experience livestreaming.
You can find a summary report of all the research undertaken here: Children who create and view livestreams report summary.pdf (PDF, 339.47 KB)