UAE sets minimum social media age at 15 under new child protection rules
The UAE Cabinet has approved new regulations governing children's access to social media platforms, introducing stricter safeguards aimed at enhancing online safety for minors, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing WAM.
Under the resolution, children under the age of 15 will be prohibited from creating or using personal social media accounts. Platforms must prevent underage users from accessing core features such as posting content, commenting, sharing, and joining public groups.
Teenagers aged 15 to 16 will be allowed to use social media but will be subject to enhanced protections, including age-appropriate content restrictions, limits on interactions with unknown users, usage controls, and parental supervision tools.
The regulations require social media companies to implement reliable age-verification systems, including digital identity checks or AI-supported technologies. Self-reported ages will no longer be accepted as sufficient verification.
Platforms operating in the UAE must also suspend accounts belonging to users under 15, provide parental control features, conduct regular child safety assessments, and avoid targeted advertising or commercial use of children's personal data.
Parental consent will not exempt children from the age restrictions, while caregivers will be expected to supervise permitted online activities and promote safe digital behavior.
The National Media Authority and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority will oversee compliance, with powers to issue warnings, impose penalties, or block platforms that fail to meet the new requirements.
Social media companies will have up to 12 months to comply with the regulations, which form part of the UAE's broader efforts to strengthen child protection and digital safety.
Earlier, Qazinform reported social media enters the era of user-controlled algorithms.
