Australia adds Twitch to social media ban for teens, making Pinterest an exception

Just weeks before Australia’s social media ban on users under 16 goes into effect, the country’s cyber watchdog, eSafety, has added Twitch to its list of banned platforms.

However, Pinterest has been excluded, in line with Australia’s Social Media Age Minimum (SMMA) rules.

Twitch will no longer allow Australians under the age of 16 to create accounts starting December 10, a Twitch spokesperson told TechCrunch. Existing accounts for users under 16 will be deactivated on January 9. Twitch is open globally to users ages 13 and up, and anyone under the legal age of adulthood in their region must have a parent or guardian involved, the spokesperson said.

Pinterest did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Australian organization eSafety said that Twitch has been classified as an “age-restricted social media platform” because the service is built on online social interaction and engagement features such as live streaming. Pinterest, on the other hand, is mainly used to collect images and ideas, so it is not included in the age-restricted rules.

Australia said its ban on social media for minors, which will take effect on 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 the age of 16, according to a statement from the internet regulator.

About a year ago, Australia passed a law banning the use of social media by children under the age of 16. At the time, major tech companies such as Google and Meta called on the government to delay implementation until the country finished its age verification trial.

The regulator provides a self-assessment tool to help platforms determine whether they must follow the SMMA rules.

Other countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, are taking similar steps to control who sees online content, although their approaches differ. Twenty-four US states have so far enacted age verification laws as of August 2025. Utah became the first state to require app stores to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent for minors who download apps.

The UK’s Internet Safety Act came into effect in July, requiring social media and other online platforms to block children’s access to harmful content or face huge fines. The UK requires strict age checks for high-risk content, such as self-harm and eating disorder content, to protect users under 18.