Australia adds Twitch to its 'social media ban for those under 16'; new account registrations will be banned from December 10, 2025, and accounts under the age of 16 will be disabled from January 9, 2026.
Australia will soon be the first country in the world to ban social media use by anyone under the age of 16. With the law coming into force, it has been announced that the live streaming service Twitch will be included in the restrictions.
Twitch assessed as age-restricted social media platform | eSafety Commissioner
Social Media Minimum Age – Fact sheet - social-media-minimum-age-and-age-assurance-trial-fact-sheet-july-2025.pdf
(PDF file)
Australia adds Twitch to teen social media ban, Pinterest exempted | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2025/11/21/australia-adds-twitch-to-teen-social-media-ban-pinterest-exempted/
Streaming platform Twitch to be included in under 16s social media ban - ABC News
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-21/twitch-included-in-under-16s-social-media-ban/106036398
Australia plans to implement a social media ban that will require platforms to take measures to protect children, based on research showing that social media use during adolescence leads to lower life satisfaction later in life.
The Act requires age-restricted social media platforms to take steps to prevent Australians under the age of 16 from creating accounts.
For example, Twitter (formerly Twitter) is considered an 'age-restricted social media platform' because its terms of use prohibit account registration by anyone under the age of 13. Twitter must tighten age verification for Australian users, properly discard children's information, and report to Australian authorities whether it is complying with regulations, or it must pay fines.
Australian authorities have now announced that Twitch will be included in these restrictions.
The law regulates platforms that meet certain criteria, including 'the sole or primary purpose of the service is to enable two or more users to socially interact' and 'the ability to post content on the service.' Twitch was included because it 'is primarily used for live streaming and posting interactive content, and allows users, including children, to interact with others.'
On the other hand, the image posting service Pinterest was not considered a target, as although it allows users to interact with each other online, this is not its primary purpose; rather, its main purpose is to collect images and organize ideas.
Australian authorities have previously asked platforms to conduct self-assessments to determine whether they are subject to regulation, and Twitch has reportedly completed the self-assessment, which has been approved by the regulator.
Australian authorities ask platforms that may be 'child endangering' to self-assess - GIGAZINE
As a result of the restrictions, Twitch will ban new user registrations from Australia under the age of 16 from December 10, 2025, and will disable the accounts of Australian users under the age of 16 from January 9, 2026.
The main platforms that have already been restricted include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, etc. However, those who are under the age of 16 can still use the restricted platforms as long as they are logged out.
Other services that are not subject to regulation include messaging, email, voice or video calling, online gaming services, and education and medical services.
According to Australian authorities, 'the list of banned platforms remains fluid, but there are no plans to announce any new platforms before the December 10th deadline.'
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