Under a resolution approved on Thursday, the government said children below the age threshold will no longer be allowed to access or operate personal social media accounts. The policy is comprehensive, barring under-15 users from posting content, commenting, sharing posts, or joining public groups.
As outlined by the government’s media office, the rules are strict in scope: “children under 15 will be prohibited from creating, using or operating personal social media accounts,” a measure intended to reduce early exposure to digital platforms that authorities say can carry significant risks.
The framework does not impose a blanket ban on teenage usage. Users aged 15 and 16 will still be permitted access, but only under reinforced safeguards. These include age-appropriate content filters, limits on interactions with unknown users, screen-time controls, and stronger parental supervision tools designed to give guardians more oversight of online activity.
The new regulation applies across all social media platforms operating in the country. Companies will be required to deploy stronger age-verification systems, including digital identity checks and AI-assisted verification technologies. Notably, “self-declaration of age will not be accepted as a valid form of verification,” signalling a stricter compliance approach aimed at closing loopholes commonly used by underage users.
In addition, platforms must proactively shut down accounts identified as belonging to children under 15, prevent users from bypassing verification systems, and ensure that children’s data is not used for targeted advertising or behavioural profiling.
Authorities say the intention is to curb a growing set of concerns, including exposure to harmful or inappropriate content, unsafe interactions with strangers, excessive screen time, and the exploitation of minors’ personal data by digital platforms.
Companies have been given up to 12 months to fully comply with the new requirements.
Officials in the UAE added that the policy is aligned with broader global efforts to strengthen child safety online, noting that several countries—including Australia and parts of Europe—have already moved to tighten rules governing children’s access to social media as debates intensify over mental health and digital wellbeing.