UAE Becomes First Arab Country to Ban Social Media for Children Under 15

JAKARTA - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Cabinet issued a resolution prohibiting children under the age of 15 from using social media.

Anyone under the age of 15 will be banned from creating, using, or operating a personal account on social media platforms, state news agency WAM reported on Thursday, quoted by The National (19/6).

They are also prohibited from accessing the full features of the platform, including social interaction, publishing, commenting, sharing, and joining public groups, open channels, or other large-scale interactive spaces.

The resolution gives social media companies up to 12 months to adjust their operations to the new rules.

The cabinet - which is headed by the Vice President, the Prime Minister and the Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid - said the resolution is intended to "establish a sophisticated child protection model in the digital space, strengthen the national digital security framework in line with the rapid evolution of technology use, and achieve a balance between enabling responsible use of modern technology and ensuring the highest standards of child protection".

#مجلس_الوزراء يصدر قراراً بشأن تنظيم وصول الأطفال إلى منصات التواصل الاجتماعي وتحديد الحد الأدنى لعمر استخدامها بــــ(15) عاماً pic.twitter.com/jcFkI9Ds0l

— UAEGOV (@UAEmediaoffice) June 18, 2026

This resolution applies to all social media platforms that allow users to create accounts or personal profiles, engage in social interactions, publish or share content, and platforms that rely on algorithmic systems to display, rank, or recommend content, both free and paid.

In addition, this resolution affects all platforms with services available in the UAE or intended for users in the country.

Social media platforms are required to take all necessary technical and administrative measures to enforce restrictions on anyone under the age of 15, the Cabinet resolution reads.

Children aged between 15 and 16 years old are allowed to use social media platforms provided that stricter protection measures are applied to their accounts.

The steps listed in the resolution include "age-appropriate content classification and restriction, disabling high-risk features such as interaction with unknown users, time and duration of use settings, and provision of parental control tools, to ensure a safe and age-appropriate digital environment for them".

The mandate from the Cabinet indicates that self-reported age will not be accepted as a valid verification method. Social media providers are required to ensure that the process used to verify user age "achieves a high level of accuracy while complying with the highest standards of child privacy and personal data protection".

This includes minimizing data collection, securing data processing, and ensuring data is not stored for longer than is absolutely necessary. The age verification process will be subject to periodic review and audit.

Platforms should also take steps to monitor personal accounts created by children under the age of 15 that violate the terms of this resolution, and immediately take action to suspend or disable such accounts.