How Twitch affiliates can complete the new Persona verification
Some Twitch affiliates are now being required to verify their identities using Persona before they can collect their earnings payouts. Here’s how affiliates on the platform can easily complete the verification process.
Several Twitch affiliates have reported seeing mandatory verification prompts of late, and that their payouts are being frozen pending ID and selfie submission. This has raised questions about why Twitch wants streamers to submit their formal means identification, but also about how to complete the process.
Twitch has recently partnered with Persona, and through it, streamers can verify their identities in a few simple steps in order to potentially release earnings being withheld due to their pending ID confirmation.
Twitch introduces Persona verification for some affiliates
Twitch has actually required ID verification for tax compliance reasons for some time, but this new Persona verification appears to be intended to better streamline the process.
Streamers’ earnings are handled by Twitch, which makes the company liable for a variety of compliance-related issues. This is why Twitch and other streaming platforms like it typically require streamers to verify their identities before they can receive their payout for the first time. This verification doesn’t just confirm a streamer’s identity to reduce the chances of fraud, it also fulfills established tax requirements.
Persona is a third-party identity verification provider that handles the technical aspects of the process for many platforms. Twitch uses a third-party service to ensure no errors are made, as handling government IDs is a risky element of the verification process.
Some have called out Twitch for partnering with Persona after the brand has been part of some recent controversies online due to potential privacy issues. Twitch’s partnership with Persona comes at a time when some other entities are instead distancing themselves from the service. Regardless of their hesitation, streamers on Twitch who are having trouble with payments due to ID verification likely won’t have any choice but to complete the revised process, as their Twitch earnings can apparently be kept frozen until that process is completed.
Image credit: Persona
The Persona verification isn’t seemingly being enforced across all Twitch affiliates just yet, and only those who get the related notification will need to complete the process to receive their awaited payouts.
However, even some non-affiliate Twitch streamers have reported receiving the verification pop-up. This has raised questions online about whether the move is only for affiliates or if Twitch is testing with affiliates before globally making the Persona verification a mandatory requirement for all streamers on the platform.
Twitch has indeed noted that some streamers may be required to verify their identities, but hasn’t issued a public statement clarifying the Persona verification process in particular.
CEO Dan Clancy was asked whether the platform would consider not using Persona due to ongoing privacy concerns, and he responded by saying that only a very small percentage of affiliates are verified using the service. He then revealed that Twitch actually uses several tools for payout verification, and shared that Persona isn’t used for age verification.
How to get verified on Twitch with Persona
A streamer can complete the Persona verification using the pop-up displayed on Twitch.
Follow the steps listed below to complete the Twitch ID verification using Persona:
- Click start verification on the pop-up
- Upload a government-issued ID
- Take a qualifying selfie
- Input email and phone number, if required
- Submit and wait for confirmation
These steps are straightforward, but it’s important for streamers to ensure there is sufficient lighting and to remove any headgear when taking their selfie, so they don’t get an error in response. Similarly, streamers will also need to ensure they scan their IDs clearly to avoid facing any issues there.
Following these steps and completing the Persona process should allow affected Twitch streamers to receive their payouts as intended.
Feature image credit: Persona, Twitch
Khizar Mundia has been playing video games for as long as he can recall. Things have come a long way since the many days he spent playing the original NES, though. He now covers a variety of competitive games and esports, as well as the world of streaming, ranging from Twitch to Kick. If it’s of interest to gamers, it’s of interest to Khizar.
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