A few weeks before Australia’s ban on social media for those under 16 is set to begin, the country’s eSafety authority has now included Twitch among the prohibited platforms.
Pinterest, on the other hand, has not been banned, which aligns with the Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) guidelines in Australia.
According to a Twitch representative speaking to TechCrunch, Australians under 16 will be unable to register new accounts on Twitch starting December 10. Accounts already held by users under 16 will be disabled on January 9. The spokesperson also noted that, worldwide, Twitch is available to those aged 13 and older, but minors must have a parent or guardian involved if they are not yet legal adults in their country.
Pinterest has not yet provided a comment in response to inquiries.
Australia’s eSafety explained that Twitch is considered an “age-restricted social media platform” because it centers on online interaction and features such as livestreaming. In contrast, Pinterest is primarily used for saving images and ideas, so it does not fall under the same age-restriction rules.
Australia’s upcoming ban on social media for minors, effective December 10, will cover platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube (excluding YouTube Kids and Google Classroom), Reddit, and the local streaming service Kick. These services must prevent users under 16 from accessing accounts, according to the internet regulator’s announcement.
Roughly a year ago, Australia enacted legislation prohibiting social media use for those under 16. At that time, leading tech firms like Google and Meta urged the government to postpone implementation until the completion of the country’s age-verification pilot.
The regulator offers a self-assessment resource to assist platforms in determining whether they are subject to SMMA requirements.
Other nations, such as the U.S. and the U.K., are also introducing measures to regulate online content access, though their strategies vary. By August 2025, twenty-four U.S. states had passed age-verification laws. Utah was the first state to require app stores to confirm users’ ages and get parental approval before minors can download apps.
The U.K.’s Online Safety Act, which took effect in July, obliges social media and other digital platforms to restrict children’s exposure to harmful material or face substantial penalties. The law also mandates robust age verification for high-risk content, such as material related to self-harm or eating disorders, to safeguard users under 18.
