The United Arab Emirates has set a new precedent in the Arab world by instituting regulations that ban children under the age of 15 from having personal social media accounts. This groundbreaking measure is part of a broader effort to enhance child protection in the digital landscape.
According to the new Cabinet resolution, young users below the specified age are now restricted from engaging with core social media functionalities. This includes activities such as posting content, commenting, sharing, interacting with other users, and joining public groups and channels. The regulations mandate that social media companies operational within the UAE have a 12-month window to ensure compliance with these new rules.
Platforms are required to introduce effective age-verification systems, moving beyond the current reliance on users’ self-reported ages. For teenagers aged 15 and 16, the use of social media remains permissible; however, it comes with the implementation of stricter safety protocols. These enhanced protections focus on age-appropriate content restrictions, limitations on interactions with unknown users, and the integration of parental controls, alongside tools to manage usage time.
The UAE government has emphasized that the primary goal of this initiative is to bolster child protection while fostering a culture of responsible technology use. In alignment with the new regulations, social media platforms must identify and suspend accounts that belong to users under the age of 15, should they be found in violation of these rules.