Is Kick safe for my child?

Kick is not a safe platform for children or teenagers. The platform was built explicitly to attract streamers and content that other platforms had banned or restricted, and its deliberately permissive moderation is a core part of its identity. Gambling streams are common and prominent — children watching these are being normalised to gambling as entertainment. Language and content standards are significantly lower than on Twitch or YouTube. If your child is watching Kick, we would recommend having an honest conversation about what they enjoy watching and whether those specific streamers are also on safer platforms, and considering whether to block Kick via parental controls.

My child says Kick is just like Twitch — is that true?

Kick and Twitch have similar interfaces and some of the same streamers, but they have very different content standards. Twitch has significantly more robust content moderation and bans gambling content from unlicensed sites. Kick was founded partly by a gambling company and gambling streams are a prominent and promoted content category. The comparison to Twitch is technically accurate in terms of format but not in terms of content safety. If your child wants to watch gaming or variety streams, Twitch or YouTube Gaming would be safer alternatives.

Kick Streaming Safety Guide for Parents

What parents need to know about Kick — a livestreaming platform with minimal moderation, adult content, and significant risks for younger viewers.

Official age

13+

We recommend

18+

Developer

Kick Streaming Pty Ltd

Risks

Direct messaging

In-app purchases

Live streaming

Overview

Kick is a livestreaming platform launched in 2023 as an alternative to Twitch, attracting streamers who had been banned from or who disagreed with Twitch's content moderation policies. Kick's primary differentiator is its deliberately permissive content moderation: the platform allows content that would be removed from Twitch or YouTube, including gambling streams, very explicit language, and content that approaches adult-only material. It has attracted some of the most-watched streamers in the world, which gives it a veneer of legitimacy, but the content environment is significantly less safe than mainstream platforms.

How children use it

Children and teenagers often discover Kick through YouTube or social media when following streamers who have moved from Twitch. The platform's interface is similar to Twitch, which makes it familiar. Live chat in streams is active and largely unmoderated, and some streams involve gambling content (casino slots, poker), extreme challenges, and strong language.

Main risks

harmful content online strangers in app purchases livestreaming safety

Recommended privacy settings

Mature Content Filter

Location: Account settings → Content Preferences

Set to: Mature content should be restricted on any account used by a child

Kick allows mature content categories. Ensuring your child's account (if they have one) has mature content restricted is important — but platform-level controls are weak and content gatekeeping is less reliable than on Twitch or YouTube.

Parent actions

essential

Check whether your child is watching Kick and which streamers they follow — search for the streamers' names on Kick to understand the type of content involved

Time: 15 minutes

recommended

If your child is under 16, consider blocking Kick via router or device parental controls given the weak content moderation

Time: 15 minutes

essential

Talk to your child about why gambling content, which is prevalent on Kick, is not appropriate entertainment for children

Time: 15 minutes