GLOBAL – Australia's internet regulator on Friday, November 21, 2025, expanded its impending social media ban for children under 16 to include the Amazon-owned streaming platform Twitch, just weeks before the sweeping legislation takes effect. The decision places Twitch alongside giants like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, which will be legally required to prevent minors from using their services starting December 10, 2025. This development in Australia serves as a significant case study for nations worldwide, including Kenya, as they grapple with the complex challenge of protecting children online.

In a statement, Australia's eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, clarified that Twitch was included because its "sole or significant purpose" is to enable social interaction through features like live streaming and interactive chat. Conversely, the image-sharing platform Pinterest was deemed exempt, as its primary function is idea curation rather than social interaction. The Australian law, the first of its kind globally, will impose fines of up to A$49.5 million (approximately KSh 4.2 billion) on companies that fail to take "reasonable steps" to enforce the age restrictions. The responsibility for compliance rests solely on the tech companies, with no penalties for children or their parents.

The Kenyan Context: A Parallel Path

Australia's decisive action resonates strongly with ongoing policy discussions in Kenya. The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has already laid the groundwork for stricter online controls. In April 2025, the CA issued the "Industry Guidelines for Child Online Protection and Safety," a comprehensive framework requiring all Information and Communication Technology (ICT) providers to implement measures to shield minors from online harm. A key and controversial component of these guidelines is the mandate for age verification mechanisms.

While the initial implementation may allow for user-declared ages, CA officials have indicated the ultimate goal is verification against government-issued identification documents. This move is further supported by the proposed Kenya Information and Communications (Amendment) Bill, 2025, sponsored by Aldai MP Marianne Kitany. The bill explicitly seeks to compel social media platforms to verify users' ages via their National IDs, arguing that current self-declaration methods are easily bypassed by children.

If enacted, these Kenyan measures would be among the most stringent in the world, potentially surpassing Australia's model by directly linking social media access to a national identity system. The CA's approach aims for what it calls "empowerment over policing," seeking to create safer access rather than an outright ban, while still holding service providers accountable for protecting young users.

A Global Trend Towards Regulation

The actions in both Australia and Kenya are part of a broader international trend. Governments globally are moving away from self-regulation by tech companies and towards legally enforceable standards for child online safety. In the European Union, the Digital Services Act (DSA) requires large online platforms to mitigate risks to minors, with age verification cited as a key tool. Several EU member states, including France and Spain, are pursuing national laws to restrict social media access for children. Similarly, numerous U.S. states have enacted laws requiring age checks for social media or adult content.

This global push is fueled by growing evidence of online harms, including cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content, and mental health impacts. A government-commissioned study in Australia found that seven in ten children aged 10 to 15 had been exposed to harmful material online.

Challenges and The Path Forward

Despite the momentum, implementing effective and privacy-preserving age verification remains a significant technical and ethical challenge. Critics raise concerns about data privacy, freedom of expression, and the potential for excluding individuals without official identification from the digital sphere. The Australian Human Rights Commission has warned that a blanket ban could isolate young people and that age assurance processes pose privacy risks for all users.

As Kenya advances its own regulatory framework, it will closely watch the rollout of Australia's ban on December 10. The effectiveness of the technologies used, the compliance from tech giants, and the societal impact will provide crucial lessons. For Kenyan policymakers, the challenge will be to strike a balance between protecting the nation's youth and upholding the digital rights of all citizens in an increasingly interconnected world.