Is X (Twitter) Safe for Kids?

The short answer: X is a block for kids. It's the most adult-content-permissive mainstream platform — it allows pornography on-platform — and it hosts the Grok AI, used to generate sexualised images of real people including minors (eSafety has raised formal concerns). It's rated 18+ on the App Store, has essentially no parental controls, and in Australia is on the under-16 ban list. Fewer teens use it than TikTok or Snap, but it's high-risk for those who do.

What X is

A real-time public posting platform (the old Twitter), now owned by Elon Musk's xAI, with the Grok AI built in for chat and image generation.

The real risks

• Legal pornography on-platform. Labelled "sensitive media" but allowed. The default filter can be switched off.
• Grok AI. Common Sense Media rates it not safe for teens, with erotic roleplay companions. eSafety has raised formal concerns about it being used to create sexualised images of real people, including minors.
• Graphic content and stranger DMs. Default safety filters can be turned off in a tap.

So what age?

Platform minimum is 13, but the App Store rates it 18+ and in practice it's an adult site. In Australia the under-16 ban settles it: no account. We'd say not before 16, and even then with eyes open.

What we do

Don't allow it — it's unlawful for under-16s in Australia anyway. Block it at the device (App Store age limit so 16+ and 18+ apps are blocked (Apple replaced 17+ with 16+/18+ in 2025), or Family Link on Android). If a 16–17-year-old uses it, protect the account (private), and force "Display media that may contain sensitive content" to OFF on every device — the setting doesn't sync. Set DM requests to "No one" and turn on the low-quality message filter. Don't use Grok.

The bottom line: X is the rare app where the honest mum-to-mum answer is: just block it.