The UAE Cabinet, chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, has issued a decision regulating children’s access to social media platforms.

According to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), the move “reflects the UAE’s direction towards establishing an advanced model for child protection in the digital space and strengthening the digital safety system, in line with rapid technological developments, with the aim of enabling children to benefit from them within a safe, balanced, and age-appropriate digital environment.”

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

It highlights the need for an integrated national framework that balances enabling children to benefit from technology while strengthening their protection in the digital environment, reflecting the UAE’s leadership in developing advanced legislative models aligned with global digital transformations and prioritizing child safety and quality of life.

The decision also strengthens the legislative framework related to child protection, including the Child Rights Law, cybercrime regulations, media governance, and digital safety measures for children, establishing greater institutional coordination and reinforcing the state’s approach to providing a safer digital environment for children, according to WAM.

The decision covers social media platforms that allow users to create accounts or profiles, enable social interaction and content sharing, and rely on algorithmic systems for content display or recommendations, whether free or paid. It applies to all social media platforms, whether their services are available within the country or directed at users within it.

WAM explained that the decision sets the minimum age for social media use at 15 years, prohibiting children under this age from creating, using, or operating personal accounts on social media platforms. It also bars them from accessing full platform features, including social interaction, posting, commenting, participation, joining public groups or open channels, and other broad interactive spaces.

Platforms are required to take all necessary technical and organizational measures to enforce this, while promoting a gradual shift toward more balanced and healthy digital habits in line with different stages of childhood and adolescence.

The decision allows children aged 15 to 16 years to use social media platforms, provided their accounts are subject to special protection measures, including the classification and restriction of content according to age group, the deactivation of high-risk features such as interaction with unknown users, the regulation of usage times and durations, and the provision of parental control tools.

Furthermore, the decision stipulates that parental consent shall not be recognized as an exception to the ban or restrictions imposed, while allowing caregivers to adjust the settings of accounts belonging to children aged 15 to under 16 through parental control tools provided by social media platforms, without violating the applicable restrictions.

According to WAM, this ensures a safe digital environment appropriate to children’s ages and contributes to the positive use of technology for learning and skill development while minimizing exposure to digital risks.

The decision obliges social media platforms to implement effective and reliable age verification mechanisms for users, such as digital identity systems or AI-supported technologies, including biometric methods or other mechanisms approved by the Child Digital Safety Council.

Two children sitting with a phone (Archive).

In this context, the decision specifies that self-declared age shall not be accepted as a method of verification and emphasizes that the mechanisms must achieve a high level of accuracy in determining user age, while adhering to the highest standards of privacy and personal data protection.

This includes limiting data collection to what is strictly necessary, ensuring secure processing, avoiding retention beyond the required period, subjecting the systems to review and audit, and providing clear information to users on how they operate.

According to WAM, these measures aim to enhance trust and transparency in the digital environment while balancing effective protection tools with strong privacy safeguards.

The decision obliges social media platforms operating in the state or targeting users within it to monitor accounts belonging to children under 15 that are created in violation of its provisions, and to take immediate steps to suspend or deactivate them.

It also requires platforms to implement necessary technical and organizational measures to prevent system circumvention, and to refrain from targeting children with tracking- or profiling-based advertising or exploiting their personal data for commercial purposes based on their digital activity.

Platforms are also required to provide parental control tools and educational materials for children and their caregivers, conduct periodic assessments of digital safety risks affecting children, and report regularly to the competent authorities, reinforcing the principle of shared responsibility and enhancing the role of platforms as key partners in child protection.

The decision affirms the responsibilities of child caregivers, including not enabling children to use platforms in violation of its provisions, not circumventing age verification mechanisms, and exercising active supervision over permitted digital activities.

It also calls for raising awareness of digital risks and safe usage practices, while providing a clear framework for families and practical tools to guide children toward more informed and balanced digital use.

The decision assigns oversight and supervisory responsibilities for ensuring social media platforms’ compliance with the required obligations, controls, and standards to the National Media Council and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, each within their respective competencies.

It also grants them the authority to take necessary measures in the event of violations, including warnings, partial or full platform blocking, or the imposition of prescribed administrative penalties, while taking into account gradual implementation.

According to WAM, the Child Digital Safety Council assesses the risks and impacts related to children’s access to social media platforms and proposes the necessary measures to address and mitigate them, in coordination with relevant federal and local authorities, ensuring effective implementation of the decision and the continuous development of child digital safety systems.

The decision also grants social media platforms a transition period not exceeding 12 months to align their status with its provisions, while enhancing communication and coordination with the competent authorities during this period to ensure technical and organizational readiness.

The Emirates News Agency noted that the decision aligns with advanced global trends in digital child protection, offering a balanced model that combines digital safety, family support, platform responsibility, and practical applicability.

It supports the UAE’s transition to a new phase of digital space regulation based on proactive legislation, institutional integration, and a balance between innovation and protection, while strengthening its position as a global leader in child protection and ensuring children’s safety in the digital age. According to WAM, it reflects the UAE’s continued commitment to building a safe and sustainable digital society.