YouTube Bans Minors from Streaming Without Adult Supervision.

There are an untold number of children on YouTube with active accounts who have established audiences for themselves by playing games online. However, recent YouTube policy changes may impact these users and more, as YouTube has now revealed that it will be limiting the ability for minors to utilize YouTube’s services.

YouTube’s decisions here are reportedly in an effort to help protect children that can potentially be reached and exploited through YouTube livestreaming, videos, and their comments. However, there’s no doubt that there will be some users who aren’t happy with the changes, as among the other decisions made by YouTube, children will no longer be unable to stream videos without an adult present, effective immediately.

According to the full text of YouTube’s policy changes, YouTube will only allow ‘younger minors’ to livestream if an adult is visibly present and supervising the situation. The company has also shut off comments on a number of existing videos made by minors, and plans to do the same for any future videos that are uploaded, despite community complaints. So unless those kids are willing to have their parent hang out during their streams, they’ll presumably have to wait until they’re at least fourteen years old to make six figures on the service.