UAE bans social media for children under the age of 15

Abu Dhabi: The UAE Cabinet has issued a resolution regulating children's access to social media platforms and set the minimum age for social media use at 15 years.

The resolution allows social media platforms to progressively implement the new standards through a transitional period of up to 12 months, in coordination with the relevant authorities, ensuring technical and regulatory readiness, the government announced on Thursday.

The resolution comes amid the growing use of social media platforms by children and the increasing digital challenges and risks associated with such use, including exposure to inappropriate content, unsafe interactions, the collection of personal data, and patterns of excessive usage.

This necessitates the development of an integrated national framework that enables children to benefit from technology while ensuring their protection in the digital environment, and reflects the UAE’s proactive approach in developing advanced legislative models that keep pace with global digital transformations and place child safety among its priorities, the government pointed out.

As per the resolution, children under the age of 15 are prohibited from creating or using personal accounts on social media platforms and shall not be permitted to access their full features.

Children between the ages of 15 and 16 must be provided with regulated and safe access to platforms subject to age-appropriate content classification, restricted interaction, regulated usage time, and parental controls.

Platforms are required to implement accurate and reliable age verification mechanisms. Platforms are also required to monitor non-compliant accounts and take immediate action to enforce compliance, the resolution states.

The resolution applies to all social media platforms that enable users to create accounts or personal profiles, engage in social interaction, publish or share content, or that rely on algorithmic systems to display, rank, or recommend content, whether free or paid. It applies to all platforms whose services are available within the UAE or are directed at users in the country.

According to the resolution, parental consent shall not constitute a valid exemption from the prohibitions or restrictions set out in the resolution. That means that even if a parent gives permission, that permission cannot be used to get around the rules in the resolution.

The resolution also prohibits the use or processing of children's personal data for commercial purposes based on the tracking of their digital activities.

That means companies are now not allowed to collect and use children's personal information for business or advertising purposes by monitoring what children do online.

Caregivers are responsible for actively supervising their child's permitted digital activity and promoting awareness of safe and responsible online practices, the resolution states. Therefore, caregivers are obliged to supervise their children online and educate them about safe internet use.

The resolution also provides families with a clear framework and practical tools to help guide children toward more responsible and mindful digital engagement.

Social media platforms have up to a year to gradually apply the new rules while working with the relevant authorities to make sure everything is ready and compliant.

The resolution forms part of an integrated legislative framework encompassing the Child Rights Law, legislation on combating cybercrimes, personal data protection, media regulation, and child digital safety, thereby reinforcing institutional integration and entrenching a proactive and comprehensive approach to child protection in the digital environment.

The Child Digital Safety Council shall assess the risks and impacts associated with children's access to social media platforms, propose the necessary measures to address and mitigate them in coordination with the relevant federal and local authorities. The Council shall ensure the effective implementation of the resolution and the continuous development of the child digital safety framework.

Oversight and supervision of platforms' compliance with the obligations, controls, and standards set out in the resolution are assigned to the National Media Authority, the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, each within its respective jurisdiction. These entities will have the authority to take all necessary measures in the event of non-compliance, including warning or partial or full blocking of platforms or the imposition of applicable administrative penalties while observing graduated enforcement.

The resolution is closely aligned with leading global trends in digital child protection and establishes a forward-looking model that effectively combines digital safety, family empowerment, platform responsibility, and practical enforceability, thereby advancing the UAE's transition to a new phase of digital space regulation, founded on proactive legislation, institutional integration, and a balanced approach between innovation and protection, the government said.

It reinforces the UAE's position as a leading global model in child protection and digital safety, and reflects the country's enduring commitment to building a safe and sustainable digital society, it added.