Australia adds Twitch to teen social media ban, Pinterest exempted | TechCrunch

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

"Australia's eSafety stated that Twitch is categorized as an "age-restricted social media platform" because the service is built around online social interaction and engagement features like live-streaming. Pinterest, on the other hand, is mainly used for collecting images and ideas, so it isn't included in the age-restricted rules. Australia has said its underage social media ban, which will go into effect on December 10, will apply to Meta's Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube (except YouTube Kids and Google Classroom), Reddit,"

eSafety added Twitch to Australia's list of age-restricted social media platforms and will bar Australians under 16 from creating new Twitch accounts from December 10. Existing Twitch accounts for users under 16 will be deactivated on January 9. Twitch allows users 13 and older globally and requires parental or guardian involvement for minors. Pinterest was excluded from age-restricted rules because it is mainly used for collecting images and ideas rather than interactive social engagement. The ban will apply to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube (except YouTube Kids and Google Classroom), Reddit and Kick. A self-assessment tool helps platforms determine SMMA obligations. Other countries and 24 U.S. states are pursuing age-verification measures.

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