Explained: UAE's social media ban for children under the age of 15

Dubai: Children under the age of 15 will not be allowed to create or operate social media accounts, following a Cabinet Resolution that was issued last week in the UAE.The legislation – Cabinet Resolution No. 106 of 2026 – is aimed at strengthening digital safety for children and ensures that social media platforms are held responsible for ensuring that underage users are not allowed access.Here is all you need to know about the Cabinet resolution and how it affects you and your family.What is the new resolution?The resolution, which was issued on June 17, regulates children's access to social media platforms and sets the minimum age for social media use at 15 years.As per the resolution, children below the age of 15 are prohibited from:Creating personal social media accountsOperating existing personal accountsAccessing the full interactive features of social media platformsArticle 32 (b) clearly spells out all the activities this includes:Posting contentCommentingSharing contentJoining public groups, orParticipating in large public online communitiesImportantly, parents cannot grant permission to bypass this restriction.15-16 year oldsAs per the resolution, children between the ages of 15 and 16 may have social media accounts, but platforms must apply additional protections, including:Content restrictions: Platforms must filter or restrict harmful and age-inappropriate content.Limited interaction with strangers: Companies must reduce interactions with users unknown to the child and their caregiver.Screen-time controls: Platforms must provide tools that can limit access times and restrict daily as well as late-night use.Parental supervision tools: Parents must be able to monitor account settings, adjust privacy controls and restrict any features they do not find suitable.Restricting high-risk features: Platforms may need to disable or limit features such as unrestricted private messaging, open live-streaming, intensive recommendation algorithms and other functions deemed high risk for younger teens.Which platforms does this apply to?The resolution applies to all social media platforms that enable users to:create accounts or personal profilesengage in social interactionpublish or share content, orrely on algorithmic systems to display, rank, or recommend content, whether free or paid.This includes companies whose services are available in the UAE, regardless of where they are based.Why was it implemented?The resolution aims to strengthen children's digital safety and create a safer online environment for young users. Several articles in the provision indicate the need for digital safety for children, including:Children's exposure to harmful or age-inappropriate content.Interactions with users unknown to the child and their caregiver.Risks associated with features such as unrestricted private messaging, open live streaming and intensive algorithmic recommendation systems.The need to prevent children from being exploited or exposed to digital risks.The protection of children's personal data and restrictions on behavioural advertising and profiling.It also ensures that social media companies take greater responsibility for protecting young users.How will age be verified more accurately?The resolution provides different possible mechanisms that can be implemented to ensure that users’ age is verified more accurately. Some of the methods that can be used include:Government digital identity systemsScanning official identity documentsBiometric matchingAI-based age estimation technologyUsing licensed age-verification providersThe law specifically states that simply entering a birth date or self-declaring an age will not be sufficient.When does it come into effect?Social media platforms have up to a year to gradually apply the new rules while working with the relevant authorities to make sure everything is ready and compliant.How social media platforms will be held responsibleArticles 3, 4 and 5 of the resolution detail how social media platforms will be required to implement the child digital safety measures:1. Age verification methodsApart from implementing reliable verification methods, the resolution also stipulates that the measures used to collect data should be limited to the need to only verify age, and companies would not be allowed to retain any biometric data or official documents that may be used for the age verification purposes.2. Block underage accountsExisting underage social media accounts on these platforms must be detected and suspended.3. Refrain from targeting children with directed adsArticle 5 (4) of the resolution states that social media platforms must refrain from targeting children with directed advertisements based on tracking and behavioural profiling, or from exploiting or processing their personal data for commercial purposes based on tracking their digital activity.4. Support parents and children with the right informationThe legislation also requires social media platforms to design and integrate digital awareness tools and materials within the platform, directed at children and their caregivers, to promote safe and responsible use.5. Report complianceArticle 5 also requires platforms to conduct periodic assessments of digital safety risks relating to children and provide periodic reports to the concerned authorities regarding the measures taken and the extent of implementation of the controls and obligations set out in the resolution.The implementation of the resolution will be monitored by the UAE’s National Media Authority, the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) and the Child Digital Safety Council.