UAE sets firm age bar for social platforms

The UAE Cabinet has approved new rules barring children under 15 from using social media accounts, marking one of the region’s most direct interventions yet in the regulation of children’s digital lives.

The resolution was issued by the Cabinet chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and applies to social media platforms whose services are available in the country or directed at users in the UAE. It sets 15 as the minimum age for social media use and prohibits younger children from creating, using or operating personal accounts.

The measure goes beyond account creation. Children below 15 will not be allowed to access full platform functions, including posting, commenting, sharing, joining public groups, entering open channels or taking part in large-scale interactive spaces. Platforms must put technical and administrative systems in place to enforce the ban, detect underage accounts and suspend or disable accounts created in breach of the resolution.

Children aged 15 and 16 will be permitted to use social media, but only under enhanced safeguards. These include age-appropriate content classification, restrictions on interaction with unknown users, limits on usage time and duration, and parental control tools that allow caregivers to configure permitted account settings. The resolution makes clear that parental consent cannot be used to override the prohibitions or restrictions.

The rules apply to platforms that allow users to create accounts or profiles, interact socially, publish or share content, or rely on algorithmic systems to display, rank or recommend material. The scope covers free and paid services, bringing major global platforms, short-video apps, messaging-linked social functions and algorithm-driven content networks within the regulatory net if they are accessible to users in the UAE.

Age verification is central to the framework. Platforms will no longer be able to rely on self-declared ages. They must adopt reliable verification mechanisms, including digital identity checks, AI-supported technologies such as biometric tools, or other systems approved by the Child Digital Safety Council. Verification systems must be accurate, transparent and subject to regular review, while complying with privacy and data-protection standards.

The resolution also restricts the commercial use of children’s data. Platforms are required to avoid targeted advertising based on tracking or behavioural profiling of children and must not exploit or process children’s personal data for commercial purposes linked to monitoring their digital activity. Data collection must be minimised, processing must be secure, and information must not be retained longer than strictly necessary.

Social media companies will have up to 12 months to bring their operations into compliance. During the transition, they are expected to coordinate with competent authorities and prepare technical, administrative and reporting systems. Oversight will be handled by the National Media Authority and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, each within its jurisdiction. Enforcement tools may include warnings, administrative penalties, and partial or full blocking of non-compliant platforms.

The Child Digital Safety Council will assess risks linked to children’s access to social media and propose measures to mitigate them in coordination with federal and local authorities. The council’s role places the new resolution within a broader digital safety framework that includes child rights, cybercrime, personal data protection, media regulation and child digital safety legislation.

The Cabinet move reflects growing official concern over children’s exposure to inappropriate content, unsafe online contact, excessive screen use and the collection of personal data by digital platforms. It also places clear duties on caregivers, who are required not to enable children to breach the rules, not to help bypass age checks, and to supervise permitted online activity.

The UAE’s decision follows a wider international shift towards tighter regulation of children’s access to social media. Australia has moved to block under-16s from major platforms, while several governments in Europe and Asia are considering or implementing stronger age-gating, parental control and platform-liability measures. The debate has intensified as policymakers weigh online safety, mental health concerns, privacy protection and children’s right to digital participation.