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Australia is expanding its youth social media restrictions by adding Twitch to its list of banned platforms for users under 16, marking a critical development in online safety regulations. This law, enforced by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, takes effect on December 10, 2025, and reflects the country’s growing concern about children’s exposure to social media environments. SquaredTech explores this significant update and the reasoning behind Pinterest’s exemption, providing clear insight into what Australians and global audiences can expect.
Read More About Our Article of Australia’s Social Media Ban for Teens Under 16: What You Need to Know for the Good of Our Kids Published on October 21st, 2025 SquaredTech
Why Australia Added Twitch to Its Under-16 Ban
Australia’s decision to include Twitch in its social media ban for users younger than 16 is grounded in the platform’s primary nature. Twitch functions as a live streaming service centered on real-time social engagement. As a result, it falls under the Australian Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) rules that restrict platforms heavily reliant on social interaction. Twitch will no longer permit Australians under 16 years to create accounts starting December 10. Additionally, existing underage accounts will be deactivated by January 9.
Globally, Twitch’s minimum age for users is 13, with a policy that anyone below the age of adulthood in their region should have parental involvement. Australia’s stricter approach highlights its focus on protecting minors from potential risks associated with live, interactive content such as inappropriate chats or exposure to live broadcasts. The move signals an effort to ensure children engage with safer digital environments specifically vetted by government standards.
The Australian eSafety Commissioner categorizes Twitch as an age-restricted social media platform because of its interactive features that can expose younger users to a wide variety of live content that might not be suitable for them. This contrasts with platforms that do not actively promote social interaction as their core feature.
Why Pinterest Is Exempt and What That Means
In contrast, Pinterest was excluded from Australia’s social media ban for users under 16. This decision is based on Pinterest’s primary function as an image collection and idea-sharing platform rather than one built around direct social interaction. Pinterest users mainly browse, save, and share images and inspiration boards, which reduces the likelihood of real-time interaction and the related risks present on platforms like Twitch.
Australia’s eSafety authorities clarified that since Pinterest does not fall under the “age-restricted social media platform” category, the SMMA rules do not apply. This exemption shows a nuanced regulatory approach in which the nature of platform features matters when deciding which services require restrictions for minors.
For users and parents, this means Pinterest remains accessible to younger users without the strict account blocking that will be enforced on Twitch and other listed platforms. It also highlights that regulators are differentiating social platforms based on user interactivity and potential exposure risks instead of applying blanket bans.
Expansion of Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age Law
Australia’s Twitch ban is part of a broader law passed approximately one year ago that prohibits social media use for children under 16. This legislation marks a landmark shift in protecting youth online by requiring platforms to block account creation or access by underage users.
The list of banned platforms besides Twitch includes well-known giants such as Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube (with exceptions for YouTube Kids and Google Classroom), Reddit, and Australia’s own streaming service, Kick. This wide-scale enforcement starts on December 10, 2025, reflecting a government strategy to curtail minors’ access to potentially harmful social media content.
Initially, key technology companies like Google and Meta asked the Australian government to postpone enforcement while age-verification trials were piloted. Despite these requests, the agency overseeing online safety confirmed the policy would proceed as planned, positioning Australia among the first countries enforcing such a threshold nationwide.
To help platforms comply, the regulator offers a self-assessment tool to determine whether their services fall under the SMMA rules, simplifying the compliance process and encouraging cooperation between technology providers and government regulators.
Global Context: Age-verification Trends Elsewhere
Australia is not alone in imposing stringent age-verification laws for social media and online content. Several other countries have enacted or proposed similar rules aimed at safeguarding children from exposure to inappropriate online material.
In the United States, for example, 24 states have launched laws requiring age checks for various online platforms. Utah has gone further than most by mandating that app stores verify user ages and obtain parental consent before minors can download apps, setting a precedent in app-level controls.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom implements the Online Safety Act from July 2025, which forces social networks and online platforms to block children’s access to harmful content. This law specifically requires stringent age verification around high-risk content categories such as self-harm and eating disorders. Platforms that fail to protect under-18 users face substantial fines.
All these regulatory efforts reflect a growing international push toward stricter age-based content controls. Australia’s Twitch ban fits within this pattern, using platform interaction style as a key factor in determining restrictions.
Concluding Thoughts
As representatives of SquaredTech, we recognize Australia’s move to add Twitch to the under-16 social media ban as a decisive step in child online safety. The differentiation between an interactive platform like Twitch and visual discovery services like Pinterest demonstrates a clear focus on protecting minors from direct social exposure rather than limiting them indiscriminately.
This policy shift invites technology companies to rethink platform policies, especially regarding user age verification and parental involvement. In addition, it encourages a proactive dialogue about how features impact content risk and the importance of regulatory frameworks that respond to these differences.
SquaredTech will continue monitoring how this ban affects internet usage behaviors, the compliance of platforms like Twitch, and parallels in global regulatory trends. By prioritizing straightforward information and clear analysis, SquaredTech supports users, parents, and developers in understanding the ongoing landscape of social media regulation and youth protection worldwide.
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