Australia’s sweeping new social media restrictions for children are about to take full effect, and Twitch has now been confirmed as the latest platform to fall under the ban. Starting 10 December 2025, anyone under the age of 16 will be blocked from creating accounts, and existing accounts will be deactivated shortly after.
A Major Expansion of the Ban
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese first announced plans to enforce strict age limits on social media back in September 2024. One year later, the policy is ready to roll out, covering a long list of services including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube.
After months of speculation over where Twitch would land, the eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant confirmed that the Amazon-owned livestreaming platform is now officially included. With Twitch heavily used by under-16s for gaming and creator interactions, regulators considered it a space for online social interaction rather than simply a gaming service.
Twitch has stated that users under 16 will be unable to create new accounts from 10 December. Existing under-16 profiles will begin shutting down from 9 January.
Why Twitch Was Included
While some early discussion suggested Twitch might be exempt due to its focus on gaming, eSafety ruled otherwise. On its website, the regulator explains that Twitch is “a platform most commonly used for livestreaming or posting content that enables users, including Australian children, to interact with others in relation to the content posted”.
This classification places it squarely within the scope of the ban, which targets apps encouraging open social communication among minors. Platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to remove under-16 accounts risk fines of up to roughly 50 million Australian dollars.
Which Platforms Are Covered
The full list of banned platforms for under-16s now includes:
FacebookInstagramTikTokSnapchatYouTubeRedditX (formerly Twitter)ThreadsKickTwitch
Some services such as Pinterest, YouTube Kids and Google Classroom remain exempt. The list may expand in the future if teenagers move to alternative platforms to circumvent restrictions.
How Age Checks and Account Removal Will Work
Each platform has been tasked with building its own age verification system. Government ID cannot be the sole method, meaning apps must combine multiple signals such as behavioural analysis, face or voice recognition, and automated age inference.
Meta will begin removing under-16 accounts from Facebook, Instagram and Threads on 4 December, allowing teens to download their photos and place accounts on hold until they turn 16. TikTok and Snapchat plan to introduce similar deactivation and archival options.
Users who are incorrectly flagged as underage will be able to appeal. Meta will use Yoti’s facial age estimation, while TikTok and others are rolling out their own review procedures.
Community Reactions
The announcement sparked strong reactions online, with thousands of social media posts ranging from support to frustration.
Some praised the move as overdue, saying social media pressures have become harmful for young teens. Others argued the ban is unrealistic, predicting teenagers will easily bypass restrictions using VPNs or fake birthdays.
One user joked that “Australian teens are about to be grounded by the entire internet”, while another said, “This won’t stop a teen that wants to access the platform, when there’s a will a way is going to show itself.”
Some parents voiced mixed feelings, noting similar rules already exist in parts of Europe, while creators expressed concern about how the ban might affect younger viewers.
What Happens Next
Tech companies now have just weeks to finalise their systems and prepare for the rollout. Australia is the first country to implement a ban of this scale, and its outcome is expected to shape global debates about online safety for young users.
For now, Twitch joins Kick and the rest of the major social media landscape in locking out under-16s, as the country pushes forward with one of the strictest internet safety policies in the world.