The UAE Cabinet, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, has approved a decision regulating children’s access to social media platforms. The move reflects the UAE’s commitment to building an integrated system that protects children in the digital space.
The decision aims to allow children to benefit from modern technology within a safe and balanced environment that suits their age and needs, while reducing the risks that may result from unregulated use of social media platforms.
This step comes at a time when children’s use of digital platforms is expanding significantly, bringing with it challenges related to inappropriate content, interaction with strangers, collection of personal data and excessive use. These developments highlight the importance of having a clear national framework to regulate this area.
Minimum Age Set at 15
The decision sets 15 years as the minimum age for using social media platforms. Children under this age are prohibited from creating, using or operating personal accounts on these platforms.
The restriction also covers access to full platform features that allow social interaction, including posting, commenting, sharing, joining public groups, open channels or large-scale interactive spaces.
Under the decision, social media platforms are required to take the necessary technical and organizational measures to ensure compliance with these rules. This is intended to support healthier and more balanced digital habits among children and young people.
Special Safeguards for Users Aged 15 to 16
The decision allows children aged 15 and under 16 to use social media platforms, but only under special protection measures suitable for this age group.
These measures include classifying and restricting content according to age, disabling high-risk features such as interaction with unknown users, regulating usage times and durations, and providing parental control tools.
The decision also makes clear that parental consent cannot be used as an exception to bypass the ban or the restrictions. However, caregivers are allowed to adjust account settings for children who have turned 15 but have not yet reached 16, using the parental control tools available on social media platforms, provided that this does not conflict with the approved rules.
Reliable Age Verification Mechanisms
The decision requires social media platforms to apply effective and reliable mechanisms to verify users’ ages. These may include digital identity, artificial intelligence-supported technologies, biometric tools or any other methods approved by the Child Digital Safety Council.
It also states that self-declaration of age is not sufficient as a verification method. At the same time, the mechanisms used must be accurate and must respect children’s privacy and personal data.
Data protection requirements include limiting data collection to the minimum necessary, securing its processing, retaining it only for the required period, subjecting verification mechanisms to review and auditing, and providing users with clear information on how these systems work.
Clear Obligations for Social Media Platforms
The decision places a set of obligations on social media platforms that are available in the UAE or directed at users in the country. These include identifying personal accounts created by children under the age of 15 in violation of the decision and taking immediate action to suspend or disable them.
Platforms are also required to prevent attempts to bypass age verification systems. In addition, they must not target children with advertisements based on tracking or behavioral profiling, nor use children’s personal data for commercial purposes linked to monitoring their digital activity.
The decision also requires platforms to provide parental control tools and awareness materials for children and caregivers. They must also conduct regular assessments of digital safety risks for children and submit periodic reports to the competent authorities.
The Family’s Role in Strengthening Digital Safety
The decision highlights the important role of families in protecting children online. Caregivers are responsible for ensuring that children do not use social media platforms in violation of the approved rules, and for not bypassing age verification mechanisms.
It also emphasizes the need for active supervision of children’s permitted digital activity, raising their awareness of online risks, and teaching them safe usage practices. This helps guide children toward a more conscious and balanced relationship with technology.
Institutional Oversight to Ensure Compliance
The decision assigns oversight and supervision of social media platforms’ compliance to the National Media Office and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, each within its area of responsibility.
The competent authorities have the power to take necessary measures in the event of violations. These may include warnings, partial blocking, full blocking of platforms or the imposition of administrative penalties, while applying a gradual approach to enforcement.
The Child Digital Safety Council will also assess the risks and impacts associated with children’s access to social media platforms and propose suitable measures to reduce them in coordination with relevant federal and local authorities.
Transitional Period for Compliance
The decision grants social media platforms a transitional period of up to 12 months to align their operations with its provisions. This gives platforms time to complete the required technical and organizational readiness.
