Twitch joins Australia’s historic under-16 social media ban alongside Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook

Australia’s sweeping new social media rules are about to hit gamers with Twitch, the live-streaming platform popular with teens, added to the federal government’s under-16 social media ban.

eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant confirmed the move less than three weeks before the law takes effect on December 10, citing the platform’s interactive features as the reason it falls under the age restrictions.

“Twitch is a platform most commonly used for live streaming or posting content that enables users, including Australian children, to interact with others in relation to the content posted,” the commissioner said in a statement.

The decision comes despite an exemption in the laws for platforms designed solely for gaming.

eSafety determined that Twitch’s streaming capabilities meant it primarily encouraged user interaction rather than purely gameplay.

From December 10, no Australian under 16 will be able to sign up for Twitch, and any existing accounts held by minors will be deactivated over the following month.

Globally, Twitch already requires users to be at least 13 and for younger users to be supervised by a parent or guardian.

So far, the under-16 ban covers major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Kick and now Twitch.

Communications Minister Anika Wells’ office said the list of platforms covered by the ban “remains dynamic” but that no further assessments were planned before the December 10 rollout.

“Our historic law simply aims to provide Australian children with a reprieve from the persuasive pull of platforms,” a spokesperson said.

“We are not chasing perfection, we are chasing a meaningful difference in the lives of young Australians.”

Social media companies that fail to take “reasonable steps” to remove underage users risk fines of up to $50m.

Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has already announced it will begin purging accounts of under-16 users ahead of the official start date.

Twitch reiterated in a statement that Australian accounts held by under-16s would be deactivated, reinforcing the platform’s global minimum age requirements and parental supervision rules for younger users.