What parents need to know about Live.me

Live.me is a social platform, available as both an app and a website, that allows users, mainly teens and young adults, to stream or watch live videos. These live feeds showcase a variety of content, from dancing to yoga and gaming. Viewers can engage by posting comments, interacting with the streamer, and sending virtual gifts, which can be purchased within the app. The most popular broadcasters can convert virtual gifts into real money.

One can comment in real-time or view and comment later if the video is saved to a member's profile. Videos and broadcasts on Live.me can be captured, downloaded, and shared across other social media platforms. Anyone can view these broadcasts on a PC without needing to log in.

The platform also has a "beam" feature, which allows users to join each other's live videos. This can be done individually or in a "multi-beam" format, enabling several people to join one stream. Users have the option to control who joins their broadcast and can also choose an audio-only mode. Additionally, anyone can take part in platform contests and games, such as "head-to-head" matches, where two individuals are randomly paired.

How It Works

LiveMe is rated 17+ on the App Store and Google Play, meaning it may not be suitable for younger users. One can sign up with Facebook, Twitter, Google, or Instagram accounts for easy access and can share the link of their broadcast on these platforms to gain more audience.

The "Trending People" and "Trending Tags" features highlight the most popular broadcasters and hashtags, giving them more exposure. As a broadcaster or tag gains popularity, it moves up the trending list, making it more visible to users.

Trending is determined by several factors:

1. Total number of likes
2. Engagement during the broadcast (comments, likes, virtual gifts, etc.)
3. The number of viewers
4. How quickly likes are received
5. Length of the broadcast

Dangers of Live.me App

Live streaming their daily lives can be risky, especially for children who might feel pressured to act out or do something extreme in order to gain likes and new viewers. This desire for attention could lead them to share inappropriate content or engage in unsafe behavior.

Since viewers can interact with broadcasters in real time, there's always the risk of harmful or inappropriate messages or coming across inappropriate content in other people's live streams and through links and comments shared during the broadcast.

In-app purchases may encourage younger users to spend money on virtual gifts without fully understanding the cost of their actions. On the flip side, young broadcasters receiving money or virtual gifts from strangers can raise ethical concerns, especially if they are minors.

1. Cyberbullying and Harassment: Live streaming opens the door for users to become targets of bullying or abusive comments.
2. Inappropriate Content: Live streams are difficult to moderate for explicit or harmful material in real time.
3. Privacy Concerns: Broadcasting live can inadvertently expose personal or sensitive information, potentially compromising users' privacy.
4. Excessive Spending: The app's virtual gift system leads to overspending.
5. Location Sharing Risks: Although LiveMe claims to share only general locations, there have been reports of users' specific locations being revealed through details in the background of streams.

Privacy and Security Settings on Live.me

Here's how to privacy settings offered by the app:

How to Delete a Replay You Created

1. Go to your profile page.
2. Click on "My Recordings."
3. Tap the recording you want to delete.
4. A "delete" option will appear in the top-right corner, allowing you to permanently remove the recording.

How to Delete Your Live.me Account

To delete your account for privacy reasons, you'll need to contact Live.me support:

1. Email [email protected] with your registered account details and a screenshot of your profile.
2. Once your account is deleted, you won't be able to log in or access previous broadcasts.

How to block users:

1. Tap the name of the person you want to block.
2. Go to their profile.
3. Choose the "block" option to stop them from interacting with your profile or broadcasts.

How to Block Direct Messages from Strangers

1. Tap the circle with the half-circle icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
2. Select the Settings icon in the top-right corner.
3. Go to Notifications.
4. Tap Private Messages Notification.
5. Toggle off the option to Receive messages from users you haven't followed.

How to Hide Your Last Active Time

1. Open the app and go to your Settings.
2. Look for the option Show Last Active Time.
3. Toggle it off to hide your activity status from all users.
4. How to Show or Hide Your Online Status

How to manage who sees your current online status:

1. In the Settings menu, find the option Show Online Status.
2. Toggle it off to hide your status from everyone or choose specific users from whom to hide your status.

How to prevent others from recording or taking screenshots of your live broadcasts:

1. Go to your profile Settings.
2. Enable the option to Forbid Recording in Live to block recordings and screenshots during your streams.

How to control whether or not to allow greetings from strangers:

1. Go to the Settings menu.
2. Find the option for Expand Strangers' Greetings.
3. Toggle this option to enable or disable greetings from users you don't know.

How to Report Inappropriate Content

• Take a screenshot and send it to Live. me's support team for review.

How to manage who can view your broadcast

1. Go to your Broadcast Settings.
2. You can choose to make your streams visible to everyone or limit them to specific friends or users.

How to filter out inappropriate comments:

1. In your profile settings, find the Comment Filter feature.
2. Add any words or phrases you want to block from appearing in your streams.

How to control who can beam into your broadcast:

1. Before going live, open the Beam Settings.
2. Select whether anyone, only friends, or no one can beam into your live stream.

How to prevent sharing your location while streaming:

1. Go to your Settings.
2. Turn off Location Sharing.

How to Protect Children on Live.me

Given the many concerns surrounding Live.me, parents should carefully consider whether it's appropriate for their children. If you decide to allow your child to use the app, here are some key steps you can take:

1.  Talk to Your Child About the Risks: Make sure they understand that some users may have bad intentions and teach them how to recognize and avoid harmful behavior. Also, advise them to avoid sharing details like their real name, address, school, or any other identifying information—even with enthusiastic fans.

2.    Monitor App Usage: Regularly check your child's activity on the app, including what they're broadcasting and who they're interacting with, what content they're sharing, and who is commenting on their streams.

4.    Turn Off Location Services: Ensure that your child's location is not being shared by turning off location services in the app's settings.

5.    Block and Report Inappropriate Users: Encourage your child to block and report any user who exhibits inappropriate behavior, engages in bullying, or violates the app's rules in any way.

7.    Emphasize the Value of Safety Over Fame: Many children are drawn to live-streaming apps with dreams of becoming famous or earning money. Remind them that their safety and privacy are far more important than likes, virtual gifts, or followers.

8.    Use Parental Controls: Set up Parental control to monitor your child's app usage.  Bitdefender Parental Control helps you filter out inappropriate content, set screen time limits, and monitor their activities for any red flags —all without intruding on their personal space. Available with all paid Bitdefender products, it's easy to set up and ensures your child's online experience is as safe as possible.

FAQs

Is Live.me safe for children?

Live.me is not considered entirely safe for children due to the risks of interacting with strangers, exposure to inappropriate content, and privacy concerns. While the app has a minimum age requirement of 17+, younger users often join, which makes monitoring essential.

Can I use parental controls on Live.me?

Live.me itself doesn't have built-in parental controls, but you can manage access by using Bitdefender Parental Control.

Can you earn real money on Live.me?

Yes, users can earn real money on Live.me by converting virtual gifts received from viewers into cash. Popular broadcasters can earn a substantial income based on their level of engagement and the number of gifts they receive.