Australia is moving forward with a national ban on social media use for anyone under 16. Twitch has now been officially added to the list of platforms required to comply.
The streaming giant will be treated the same as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X under the new framework. Australian users under 16 will be legally barred from holding Twitch accounts once the law takes effect.
The ban targets platforms that combine user accounts with user-generated content and interaction features. Twitch fits this definition through its follower systems, live chat, direct messages, subscriptions, and community tools. It’s classified as a social media platform, not just a video hosting service.
How enforcement will work
Platforms must take “reasonable steps” to verify users are above 16. The law doesn’t mandate a specific method, leaving companies to choose their approach.
Options include third-party digital ID verification through services like Australia Post Digital ID. AI-driven age estimation from photos or behavioral data is another possibility. Some platforms may use existing user data to infer age through purchase history or account activity patterns.
Twitch will likely need Australian-specific compliance measures. This could mean geo-targeted age verification flows for users connecting from Australian IP addresses.
What changes for users
The ban applies to account creation and interactive features. Under-16s won’t be able to chat, subscribe, follow channels, or stream content.
Anonymous viewing of age-appropriate content may remain available. Users could potentially watch streams without logging in, similar to how YouTube allows logged-out viewing of general content. But accessing 18+ streams or using interactive features would require age verification.
Accounts confirmed to belong to users under 16 must be removed. This already happens informally when users reveal their age in chat. The new law makes it a legal requirement with enforcement teeth.
The government’s reasoning
Australia’s push stems from concerns about cyberbullying, grooming, exposure to harmful content, and radicalization. The government argues major social platforms pose mental health risks to young users.
The Online Safety Act already gives Australia’s eSafety Commissioner power to regulate online services. The new age restrictions raise the bar from 13 to 16 and add legal weight behind enforcement.
Similar laws are under consideration or already active in the UK and parts of Europe. Australia is part of a broader international trend toward stricter age controls on social platforms.
Technical challenges ahead
Age verification creates privacy concerns. Centralized databases of government IDs and biometric data are high-value targets for hackers. Several age-check providers in other countries have already suffered data breaches.
Platforms without Australian offices face enforcement difficulties. If a company has no local presence, the government may need to pursue ISP-level blocking or issue fines that are hard to collect.
Workarounds exist. Users can employ VPNs to appear from other countries or borrow parents’ accounts. The effectiveness of any age-gating system depends on both technical implementation and user compliance.
The framework excludes platforms without account systems. 4chan isn’t on the ban list because it lacks persistent usernames or standard login requirements. GitHub, initially considered for inclusion, also didn’t make the final list.
What happens next
The regime is expected to begin rolling out within weeks. Implementation details are still being finalized, but the legal framework is close to final or already passed.
Twitch will need to update its terms of service and age-gating processes for Australian users. The platform currently requires users to be 13 or older. That minimum jumps to 16 under the new rules.
