Weeks before Australia’s social media ban for users under 16 came into effect, the country’s watchdog eSafety added Twitch to its list of banned platforms.
However, Pinterest was excluded in accordance with Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) regulations.
Starting December 10, Twitch will no longer allow Australians under 16 to create accounts, a Twitch spokesperson told TechCrunch. Existing accounts for users under 16 will be deactivated on January 9th. Globally, Twitch is open to users 13 and older, and anyone under the legal age of majority in their region requires parental or guardian involvement, a spokesperson said.
Pinterest did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Australia’s eSafety said Twitch is classified as an “age-restricted social media platform” because it is built around online social interactions and engagement features such as live streaming. Pinterest, on the other hand, is primarily used to collect images and ideas, so it is not included in the age restriction rules.
Australia has announced that the social media ban for minors, effective December 10, will apply to Meta’s Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube (excluding YouTube Kids and Google Classroom), Reddit, and local streaming service Kick. These platforms will be required to block account access for users under 16, the Internet regulator said in a statement.
About a year ago, Australia passed a law banning children under 16 from using social media. At the time, major technology companies including Google and Meta asked the government to delay implementation until the country finished its age verification court.
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Regulators provide self-assessment tools to help platforms determine whether they need to comply with SMMA rules.
Other countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, have taken similar steps to control who sees what content on the Internet, although with different approaches. As of August 2025, 24 US states have enacted age verification laws. Utah became the first state to require app stores to verify the age of users and obtain parental consent before minors download apps.
Britain’s Online Safety Act came into force in July and requires social media and other online platforms to block children from accessing harmful content, or face hefty fines. The UK requires strong age checks for high-risk content, such as self-harm and eating disorder content, to protect users under 18.
