Saudi Arabia considers stricter social media rules for users under 16

Dubai: Saudi Arabia's Shoura Council has called on the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) to introduce age verification requirements and social media usage restrictions for users under the age of 16, as part of recommendations aimed at strengthening digital governance.

The recommendation was issued during the council's latest session after members reviewed the annual report of the Communications, Space and Technology Commission for the 2025 fiscal year and considered observations presented by the Transport, Communications and Information Technology Committee, Asharq Al Awsat newspaper reported.

The council urged the commission to establish regulatory measures to verify users' ages and introduce appropriate restrictions for social media platforms used by children under 16.

In a separate recommendation, the council called on the commission to examine ways of making use of unused capacity in government-owned fibre-optic networks to improve the quality of telecommunications and internet services across the Kingdom.

It also urged the commission to develop regulatory frameworks and investment enablers for commercial space services to strengthen the competitiveness of Saudi Arabia's space sector and increase private sector participation.