UAE Child Digital Safety Law: 7 duties parents are now legally required to do every time their child goes online

Dubai: In the UAE, keeping an eye on a child’s social media and digital use is no longer just good parenting advice, it is now a legal requirement.

Under the new Child Digital Safety Law, parents and guardians are expected to take an active role in supervising their children’s online activity, going beyond default app settings to actively protect, guide and educate them.

The law places clear responsibilities on those legally responsible for a child, referred to as 'child caregivers', including parents, guardians and anyone entrusted with the child’s care and safety.

Here’s a clear breakdown of what the law requires caregivers to do.

Legal obligations under the Child Digital Safety Law

Under Article 13 of Federal Decree-Law No. (26) of 2025 on Child Digital Safety, which came into force on January 1, 2026, the following obligations apply:

1. Supervise children’s digital use - Caregivers must monitor the online and digital activities of children in their care. This includes using parental control tools to ensure safe use and to prevent access to harmful content, while still respecting a child’s level of digial independence in line with their age.

2. Use age-appropriate digital platforms - Caregivers must not create accounts for children on digital platforms that are unsuitable for their age, or use platforms that do not have enhanced child protection controls.

They must also not allow children to:

• Share other people’s accounts, or

• View screens or content that is inappropriate for their age group.

3. Protect children from exploitation online - Caregivers must not display, promote, or exploit children on digital platforms or in virtual environments in any way that:

• Violates their privacy or dignity,

• Harms their psychological or social wellbeing, or

• Exposes them to bullying.

4. Protect children’s personal data - Caregivers must comply with all requirements relating to children’s privacy and personal data protection, as set out in this Decree-Law, its implementing decisions, and other applicable legislation.

5. Educate children about digital safety - Caregivers must actively educate children about safe and responsible use of electronic devices and digital platforms, and the psychological, behavioural, and health risks of excessive or unsafe digital use, including how these risks can be prevented.

6. Report harmful content immediately - Caregivers must immediately report to the relevant authorities if a child is exposed to harmful content, or child pornography material.

7. Comply with any additional legal duties - Caregivers must also meet any other obligations set out in this Decree-Law or in decisions issued to implement it.

Role of authorities - The Ministry and other competent authorities, within their respective powers, must put in place programmes and mechanisms to ensure that child caregivers comply with the obligations under this Decree-Law, and any related implementing decisions.

What counts as harmful content?

Under the CDS Law, harmful content is broadly defined and applies to almost all forms of digital material.

It includes any written, audio, visual, or digital content, such as:

• Information and data

• Opinions and commentary

• Artistic, cultural, social, or economic material

• Films, music, and other creative works

• Advertising and promotional content

This applies to any content that may be published, shared, marketed, or broadcast through digital platforms, whether paid or free. Content is considered harmful if it may negatively affect a child’s moral, psychological, or social values, or contravenes the Media Content Standards set out under UAE law.

What are parental control tools?

Parental control tools are technical features that allow caregivers to supervise and manage a child’s digital activity. These tools may include:

• Linking a caregiver’s account to a child’s account

• Monitoring app usage and online activity

• Setting daily screen-time limits

• Automatically disabling apps once usage limits are reached

• Fully managing privacy and account settings

Major social media apps such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, as well as video-streaming platforms like YouTube, offer built-in privacy and security features that parents can use to help protect children from harmful or age-inappropriate content online.

In addition, Apple’s Screen Time and Google’s Family Link provide free, built-in tools that allow parents to set daily screen-time limits, schedule downtime, monitor app usage and block specific applications.

Some parents also choose third-party services, such as Bark, which monitors text messages and social media activity, or Circle by Aura, which offers features including content filtering, usage scheduling and location tracking.

How to report harmful content involving children

If your child is exposed to harmful or inappropriate content online, the first step is to report the issue directly to the platform where the content appears. Most social media and digital platforms have built-in reporting tools designed to deal with content involving children.

You can also report child abuse or harmful online content to the UAE’s competent local and federal authorities.

The Ministry of Interior (MOI) operates a dedicated Child Protection Centre, which can be reached via its helpline on 116111. The service is available to report concerns involving a child’s safety or wellbeing.

In Dubai, the Dubai Police app includes a specialised Child Protection service. This allows individuals to report any form of child abuse directly through the app. The service is designed to provide a prompt and comprehensive response to cases involving physical or psychological abuse or neglect, while ensuring the protection and rights of children under the age of 18 in the emirate.