Kick enhancing its KYC and ID verification measures related to gambling content, implementing regulations that, starting February next year, require gambling streams to originate only from sites that verify user identities. This move follows its partnership with the Internet Watch Forum (IWF) to combat harmful content. In addition, Kick has updated its safety hub and allowed streamers to personalize their chat to reduce bot activity.
Since its inception by Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven, Kick has focused heavily on gambling content, which has become increasingly popular with the rise of crash games and gamified slots. However, the tightening of rules comes as many streamers migrate to the Stake platform.
While some praise these new initiatives, others express concern, such as streamer Xposed, who criticized the changes as a means of consolidating control over the platform and disadvantaging those streaming from other gambling sites by reducing their visibility.