Australia Expands Teen Social Media Ban to Include Twitch, Excludes Pinterest

Australia is set to become the first country in the world to enforce a nationwide social media ban for children aged 16 and under, and the list of platforms affected continues to evolve. The country’s eSafety Commissioner confirmed on Friday that Amazon-owned Twitch will now be included in the подростковый social media ban taking effect on December 10. Companies failing to comply face penalties reaching up to A$49.5 million ($32 million), making this one of the strictest regulatory moves targeting online platforms.

According to the eSafety Commissioner, Twitch qualifies as a social media service because its core purpose revolves around livestreaming, sharing interactive content, and enabling real-time communication between users, including minors. In response to the ruling, Twitch announced it will deactivate all accounts belonging to users aged 16 and under starting January 9. The platform will also prevent underage users from signing up once the new regulations go live next month.

Meanwhile, Pinterest has avoided being added to the restricted list. Regulators explained that while the platform offers some social interaction features, its primary function is centered on visual discovery, organizing images, and collecting ideas, which does not align with the definition of a social media service under the new rules.

This latest update follows earlier expansions of the ban, which recently added Reddit and livestreaming platform Kick. Major tech companies already required to comply include Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Alphabet’s YouTube.

The eSafety Commissioner also clarified that no new assessments will be conducted before the rules take effect on December 10. As Australia moves forward with this unprecedented policy, global tech companies are now adjusting their systems to meet strict compliance requirements aimed at protecting young users online.