Can Australians still use Twitch after new social media ban?

Olivia Richman Published 22/11/2025

Twitch has been added to the list of social media platforms being banned in Australia, leaving users in the country scrambling to figure out what that means for Australians and if they’ll still be able to use the livestreaming hub.

As of December 10, 2025, new rules in the country will require that Australians under 16 years old no longer be allowed to make their own personal accounts on Twitch. Under the same rules, existing accounts for users under the age of 16 must be deactivated by January 9, 2026. This decision was made by eSafety in Australia, which is compiling a list of banned platforms teens won’t be able to access with their own accounts.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant explained that Twitch is a platform “most commonly used for livestreaming or posting content that enables users, including Australian children, to interact with others in relation to the content posted.” This was the given reason for the streaming platform being added to the list of banned sites.

After December 10, the intent of the social media ban is that Australian teenagers aged 16 and younger won’t be able to make new accounts on Twitch, while anyone aged above 16 years in Australia can still create an account and access Twitch as before.

However, it’s currently unclear how Twitch — and many other platforms targeted by the social media ban, such as streaming rival Kick — will reinforce this new law. It’s very easy to bypass the most basic of age-gating limitations that merely ask users to manually verify their ages. Effectively stopping users aged under 16 would require more intensive checks. Twitch would have to implement further safety measures to stop teenagers from making an account that might include requiring a government ID or the use of facial recognition.

Australia isn’t the only country to take such steps this year. In the UK, the Online Safety Act that came into effect in July 2025 and goes so far as to threaten fines for any social media platforms that fail to block minors from accessing potentially harmful content. But the enforcement of these rules has also been felt by adults, who typically must observe and deal with the same systems that are meant to filter out younger people.

Twitch has not made any official statement regarding these changes, not giving any insight into how it plans to handle enforcement.

The social media ban in Australia is a bold step being taken by the country’s government to reduce the use of social media outlets by minors. The government reported that 96% of children aged between 10 and 15 used social media — and that seven out of 10 of those children saw “harmful content and behavior” including various types of content promoting problematic behaviors. The ban aims to reduce “pressures and risks” to Australian children and teens.

There are currently 10 social media platforms included in the ban:

Facebook
Instagram
Snapchat
Threads
TikTok
X
YouTube
Reddit
Kick
Twitch

The criteria for banning a site includes the ability to interact between users and the potential for users to post their own materials that can then be seen by other users. The government is apparently eyeing gaming next, in cases in which this standard might also apply. Roblox has already implemented age checks in an attempt to avoid being added to the ban list.

Australia’s government will punish sites for not enforcing these age restrictions, resulting in fines that could reach up into the millions of dollars for the worst offenders. Sites must take “reasonable steps” to keep teens 16 and under off the platform, which may include “age assurance technology.” But there’s little context as to what exactly will constitute “reasonable steps” in the eyes of the government, and what that might mean for Australians on Twitch, Kick, and elsewhere.

That ambiguity has both the listed platforms, and those like Discord which aren’t yet affected, taking a variety of actions that are already creating an inconsistent patchwork of enforcement in the country.

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Featured image credit: Twitch

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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