Australia Bans Twitch; X Adds Profiles
Summary
Regulatory bodies are actively restricting youth access to platforms while simultaneously pushing for greater transparency regarding account histories.
- Age Verification Mandated Australia’s eSafety watchdog banned Twitch access for users under 16, effective December 10 1.
- Niche Social Launch Phictly launched a new iOS/Android app focusing on creating specific discussion groups for books and TV shows 2.
- Profile Transparency Rolls Out X began implementing the ‘About this account’ feature, showing account creation dates and history to users 3.
- TOS Policy Clarified Arduino addressed recent updates to its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy following a recent acquisition 4.
- Blogging Resurgence Noted The trend toward personal blogs signals a potential return for specialized, niche content platforms 5.
- Under 16 - The age group banned from accessing Twitch in Australia starting December 10 1.
- November 21, 2025 - Date X announced the rollout of the ‘About this account’ transparency feature 3.
- Problogger - Referenced in the discussion about the relevance of niche blogging today 5.
Key Moments
-
Australia’s eSafety watchdog added Twitch to the list of social media platforms banned for users under 16.
— Article [1] -
Phictly is a new social app... designed to create niche discussion communities around specific books, TV shows, and movies.
— Article [2] -
X has begun rolling out the ‘About this account’ feature to user profiles.
— Article [3] -
The Arduino Team issued an announcement on November 21st, 2025, addressing recent updates to the Terms of Service.
— Article [4] -
The author reflected on the return of personal blogs and the relevance of niche blogging.
— Article [5]
Different Perspectives
Supporting View
The return of personal blogs suggests a viable path forward for specialized, focused online writing.
Sources:
[5]