The United Arab Emirates has enacted new regulations that ban children under the age of 15 from having or using personal social media accounts, marking a first among Arab nations. This groundbreaking decision aims to enhance child safety in the digital realm by prohibiting young users from engaging in core social media activities such as posting, commenting, sharing, and interacting with other users, as well as joining public groups and channels.
According to the new Cabinet resolution, social media companies operating within the UAE are expected to comply with these regulations within a 12-month timeframe. To enforce this, platforms will need to install effective age-verification mechanisms, moving beyond the current reliance on users self-reporting their ages. The government’s initiative is centered on promoting responsible technology use while protecting young individuals from potential online risks.
For teenagers aged 15 and 16, access to social media will still be allowed, but with stricter safety protocols in place. These measures will include content restrictions suitable for their age, limitations on interactions with unknown users, tools for parental control, and controls to manage the amount of time spent on these platforms. These additional safeguards are designed to ensure a safer digital environment for older teenagers while enabling their continued engagement with social media.
Furthermore, the new rules mandate that social media platforms actively identify and suspend accounts that are unlawfully created by users under the age of 15. This component of the regulation underscores the UAE’s commitment to enforcing these new standards and ensuring that the digital space is as secure as possible for its youngest users. The government has emphasized that this initiative is part of a broader effort to secure the digital environment for children and encourage prudent technology use.