Twitch Hit with Age Restrictions as Australia Bans Under-16s from Platform
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Twitch will be required to block Australian children under 16 from creating accounts, the eSafety Commissioner announced Thursday, adding the livestreaming platform to a growing list of social media services facing age restrictions.
The ruling takes effect Dec. 10, when Twitch must begin taking “reasonable steps” to prevent underage users from accessing the platform under Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age legislation. The platform joins Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube in facing the restrictions.
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eSafety assessed Twitch as meeting the criteria for an age-restricted platform because it has “the sole or significant purpose of online social interaction with features designed to encourage user interaction, including through livestreaming content,” according to the announcement.
The platform, popular among gamers and content creators, allows users to livestream or post content while viewers interact through comments and chats. Australian children currently use the service to engage with streamers and other users.
In a separate assessment, eSafety cleared Pinterest from age restrictions, determining the image-sharing site does not meet the threshold for a social media platform. While Pinterest enables some social interaction, officials said it’s not the platform’s significant purpose. Users primarily collate images for inspiration and idea curation.
The divergent rulings highlight how regulators are drawing lines between platforms based on their core functions. Courts will ultimately determine whether specific services qualify as age-restricted social media platforms, but eSafety conducted preliminary assessments to help families and industry prepare for the December deadline.
eSafety expects all online platforms operating in Australia to assess their obligations under the new law. The agency has provided a self-assessment tool for industry and remains in discussions with platforms about compliance plans.
No additional platform assessments are planned before the Dec. 10 implementation date.
The announcement comes as Australia takes one of the world’s strictest approaches to regulating children’s social media access, requiring platforms to implement age verification systems or face penalties. The legislation places responsibility on platforms rather than parents or children to enforce age limits.
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