BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
The United Arab Emirates has introduced a minimum age requirement of 15 for social media use, becoming the first Arab country to impose such a nationwide restriction as governments intensify efforts to address concerns over the impact of digital platforms on children’s safety, privacy, and mental well-being.
Under a resolution approved on Thursday, individuals under the age of 15 will be prohibited from creating, operating, or maintaining personal accounts on social media platforms within the country. The decision effectively bars younger children from posting content, commenting on posts, sharing material, or participating in public online groups. The government’s media office said the measure is aimed at strengthening protections for minors in an increasingly complex digital environment.
The new framework reflects growing international concern over how children engage with social media, particularly in relation to exposure to harmful content, risks associated with online interactions, and the collection and commercial use of personal data. Officials in the UAE said the regulation is designed to create a safer digital space while still allowing access to technology under controlled conditions for older teenagers.
Teenagers aged 15 and 16 will still be permitted to use social media platforms, but only under enhanced safeguards. These include stricter content filtering tailored to age, limitations on communication with unknown users, tools for managing and limiting screen time, and requirements for active parental oversight. Authorities said these provisions are intended to ensure that younger users are not fully exposed to the open and unregulated aspects of social networking services.
The regulation applies to all social media platforms operating within the UAE, placing legal obligations on companies to implement robust age-verification systems. These systems must incorporate digital identity checks and may use artificial intelligence-supported technologies to verify user age more reliably. The government emphasized that self-declared age information will not be accepted as valid proof, signaling a shift toward stricter enforcement mechanisms.
Platforms will also be required to take active steps to remove or disable accounts belonging to users under the age threshold. In addition, companies must prevent attempts to bypass verification systems and are prohibited from using children’s data for targeted advertising or behavioral profiling. Authorities said these measures are intended to reduce the commercial exploitation of minors’ online activity.
Officials stated that the policy responds to growing concerns about children’s exposure to inappropriate or harmful material, the risks of unsafe online interactions with strangers, excessive time spent on social media, and the extensive collection of personal data by technology companies. The government described the framework as part of a broader effort to align national policy with global discussions on child protection in the digital age.
Social media companies have been given up to 12 months to comply with the new requirements. During this period, platforms are expected to adapt their systems, update their verification processes, and introduce necessary safety features to meet the regulatory standards set by the UAE authorities.
The introduction of the rule places the UAE among a growing number of countries tightening oversight of children’s access to social media. Similar initiatives have been pursued in parts of Europe and in countries such as Australia, where policymakers have raised concerns about the effects of prolonged social media use on mental health, online safety, and childhood development.
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