YouTube Go Live Together is a new feature from YouTube where users can host a livestream with another ‘guest’. YouTube have previously offered livestreaming services, the difference now is that users can livestream with each other virtually. As with the original livestreaming feature, Go Live Together is not available on YouTube kids and according to YouTube’s guidelines, any child under the age of 12 who appears in a livestream must be visibly accompanied by an adult. There are several risks associated with livestreaming and these are heightened when another person is directly involved in the stream, as the impact they might have could be harder to control or predict. Firstly, it is very difficult to control who views a livestream, even with the available privacy options, links could be sent to strangers. As well as this, livestreams do not disappear when the host signs off. Viewers can use the livestream link to rewatch the stream later, share the stream with others, and potentially download the stream onto a device. Finally, livestreams are most often filmed in the home, where accidental information sharing can easily happen. For example, school uniform hanging in the background of a video or the user’s full name being on display in their room. Take time to review your child’s access to YouTube and look carefully at the settings together with older children.
