Oman tests under-16 social media shield

Oman is weighing a ban on social media access for children under 16 as its telecoms regulator seeks public feedback on draft rules designed to tighten online safety, curb harmful exposure and define the duties of digital platforms.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has opened a consultation on the proposed framework, inviting parents, experts, educators, technology companies and the wider public to submit views before July 16. The exercise follows a regulatory study into children’s use of social media and a Royal Directive issued on June 15 to assess the impact of online platforms on young users.

The draft does not yet impose a final ban, but it places the under-16 threshold at the centre of the debate. Regulators are seeking views on whether children below a specified age should be barred from social media platforms and whether 16- and 17-year-olds should be allowed access only under stronger safeguards, including parental consent, tighter privacy settings and limits on high-risk functions.

Age verification is expected to be the most contested part of the proposal. The regulator is examining whether platforms should be required to verify users’ ages through more reliable systems, while avoiding excessive collection of personal data. That balance has become a central challenge for governments worldwide, as self-declared age checks have proved weak and children have routinely accessed platforms whose terms already set minimum age limits.

The consultation also covers private messaging, live streaming, targeted advertising and algorithmic content delivery. These features have drawn scrutiny because they can expose children to unwanted contact, harmful material, addictive use patterns and commercial profiling. The proposed framework is expected to test whether stronger restrictions should apply to specific tools rather than treating all online activity in the same way.

Oman’s move places the sultanate within a widening global shift towards age-based social media regulation. Australia has adopted one of the toughest models, requiring major platforms to block under-16 users and exposing companies to penalties of up to A$49.5 million for non-compliance. The United Kingdom is preparing restrictions for under-16s, with implementation targeted around spring 2027. Several European states are examining or advancing similar controls, often around the ages of 15 or 16.

The Gulf is also moving quickly. The United Arab Emirates approved a minimum social media age of 15 on June 18, with platforms required to introduce robust age checks and prevent children below that age from creating or using personal accounts. Teenagers aged 15 and 16 will be allowed access under enhanced protections, including limits on unknown-user contact, content controls, screen-time management and parental supervision tools. Companies operating there have up to 12 months to comply.

Oman’s draft rules appear to be shaped by the same policy tension: protecting children without cutting them off from digital learning, communication and technology skills. Regulators have signalled that the final model should reflect international standards while addressing local needs, including the role of families in supervision and the practical burden placed on service providers.

Digital rights specialists have warned that sweeping bans can create enforcement problems if they depend on intrusive identity checks or push children towards less regulated online spaces. Child protection advocates, however, argue that voluntary platform controls have not been sufficient, particularly as recommendation systems, short-video feeds and private messaging have intensified exposure to harmful material and contact risks.

Technology companies are likely to focus their submissions on feasibility, privacy and liability. Age assurance tools can include document checks, facial age estimation, mobile operator data, digital identity systems and parental verification, but each approach carries trade-offs involving accuracy, cost, accessibility and data protection. False positives may exclude legitimate users, while weak systems may fail to stop underage access.

The commercial dimension is also significant. Restrictions on targeted advertising to children and limits on the use of minors’ data could affect platform revenue models, particularly for services that rely on behavioural profiling. Regulators are expected to examine whether platforms should be barred from using children’s personal data for personalised advertising and whether default privacy settings should be strengthened for all minors.