eSAFETY GUIDE
X

X

13+
Minimum age according to X
13+ Minimum age according to X

What is X? 

X, formerly Twitter, is a social media service which allows you to share posts and follow other users so their posts appear in your ‘feed’. Posts are delivered in real time and can include text, images, video, GIFs, links, keywords, location information and polls. You can also make ‘mentions’ of other users to add a link to their profile in your post, and ‘hashtags’ to link your post to other posts about the same topic. General posts are limited to 280 text characters, but you can also share longer posts if you subscribe to X Premium.

You can interact with other users on X by ‘tweeting back’, liking or ‘retweeting’ their post. You can also send direct messages to communicate privately, broadcast live streams to your followers, or join an X space to have live audio conversations. You can also join or set up member-based communities that are moderated by other users. X circles allows you to send posts to select people, and only the individuals you have added can interact with the posts you share.

X accounts are open to the public by default, but the settings can be adjusted to make your account private and/or protect your individual tweets.

X is making changes to its block function: if your posts are set to public, blocked accounts will be able to view your posts but not engage (such as like, reply, repost).

Using X is free but a subscription service called X Premium lets you send longer tweets and gives you other features, such as the ability to edit posts within a 1 hour window. The company also earns money by showing you advertising content, offering promoted posts and data licensing. X accounts can also be linked to and shared from third-party websites.

Website: x.com

Apps: Android app, Apple iOS app

How do people use X?

Learn more about the benefits and risks associated with how people use content sharing services like X.

X is used for: content sharing, in-app purchasing, live streaming, location sharing, messaging/online chat, online relationships, photo/video sharing, screen capture and voice chat.

How can you report online abuse, ask for content to be removed or block someone?

These links are provided by X (Twitter):

How can you moderate comments and tagging?

These links are provided by X (Twitter):

How can you protect your personal information?

These links are provided by X (Twitter):

Key safety links

These links are provided by X (Twitter):

  • Safety and security
    Offers a range of general help, safety and security information when using X, including hacking, spam, sensitive content and abuse.
  • X rules
    Rules and policies relating to X, including guidelines and enforcements options.
  • Terms of service
    Outlines the rules you agree to by using X.
  • Privacy policy
    Outlines how X collects and uses your data.
  • Data sharing with business partners
    Outlines how X shares your information with its business partners.

Last updated: 25/10/2024

The eSafety Guide helps you find out how to protect your personal information and report harmful content on common social media, games, apps and sites. Entries are for information only and are not reviews or endorsements by eSafety. Before choosing to use any online service or platform it’s best to:

  • do your own research to understand the risks and benefits
  • check the age rating and requirements
  • consider privacy
  • check the permissions and other settings
  • check the in-app reporting options.

If you are a parent or carer who is deciding whether a child should be allowed to use an online service or platform, you can also:

  • consider your child's readiness for the types of content and experiences they might encounter
  • help them understand what to do if they need help
  • provide ongoing support and monitoring, for example through regular check-ins with your child
  • agree to some rules about use of each service or platform.

To find out more, you can read the App checklist for parents, as well as information about parental controls in social media, games and apps and mental wellbeing resources for families.