Twitch is classified as age-restricted by the Australian regulator
New guidance from eSafety places Twitch under stricter controls from December as officials push platforms to understand their responsibilities under Australia’s social media age laws.
Australia’s online safety regulator has moved to classify Twitch as an age-restricted social media platform after ruling that the service is centred on user interaction through livestreamed content.
The decision means Twitch must take reasonable steps to stop children under sixteen from creating accounts from 10 December instead of relying on its own internal checks.
Pinterest has been treated differently after eSafety found that its main purpose is image collection and idea curation instead of social interaction.
As a result, the platform will not be required to follow age-restriction rules. The regulator stressed that the courts hold the final say on whether a service is age-restricted. Yet, the assessments were carried out to support families and industry ahead of the December deadline.
The ruling places Twitch alongside earlier named platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube.
eSafety expects all companies operating in Australia to examine their legal responsibilities and has provided a self assessment tool to guide platforms that may fall under the social media minimum age requirements.
eSafety confirmed that assessments have been completed in stages to offer timely advice while reviews were still underway. The regulator added that no further assessments will be released before 10 December as preparations for compliance continue across the sector.
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