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Australia has extended its crackdown on teen access to social media by adding Amazon-owned Twitch to the list of platforms barred for users under 16, exempting Pinterest. The decision is part of the country’s sweeping move to implement online restrictions on young teenagers from December 10.
The restrictions come from growing concerns over teen mental health, exposure to harmful content, and the addictive design of digital platforms. The addition of Twitch was announced after regulators flagged the potential risks from its unfiltered live-streaming format, which permits real-time interactions that may expose minors to harassment and improper behavior.
Pinterest, on the other hand, was exempted after evaluations as its focus on creative and lifestyle content carries comparatively lower risks.
The new rules will ban children under 16 from having accounts on any service whose primary function is social interaction. The previous minimum age was 13; now it’s been upped to 16.
Social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, Threads, Kick, and Twitch must prevent new underage sign-ups and take down the accounts of existing minors.
Non-compliant companies risk penalties of up to AUD 49.5 million for a single breach. The ban does not penalize children or parents; enforcement rests solely with platforms.
The law requires platforms to take ‘reasonable steps’ to determine users’ ages; however, it does not mandate a single technology. Companies may use a mix of age verification, document checks, and age estimation through facial and voice analysis, and behavioral age inference. Government-issued ID cannot be the only method.
It has already started deleting accounts belonging to teens; those incorrectly flagged can appeal for restoration of access by submitting an ID or a video selfie.
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Critics argue that the ban is overly extensive and raises concerns of privacy related to biometric data. UNICEF has issued a warning that the restrictions might cut off the youth from the online communities through which they receive the most important support.
However, despite the criticisms, public support is high, and governments around the world are watching closely as Australia becomes the first country to enforce such a wide-ranging ban.
India’s huge internet-savvy youth population is exposed to the same online hazards. An age limit could be a precautionary measure for teenagers against adverse content, but still, the difficulties in executing it and the difference in access to the internet remain.
A mix of regulation, digital literacy, and platform responsibility could be a more fitting approach for India’s varied digital ecosystem.
