Khaberni - The United Arab Emirates announced on Thursday the prohibition of the use of social media platforms for children under the age of 15, becoming the first Arab country to take this step, after Western countries including Australia, the UK, and Canada.
The UAE Cabinet, in a decision reported by the official news agency "WAM", stated that "it is prohibited for children under this age to create, use, or operate personal accounts on social media platforms".
The decision set the minimum age for using social media platforms at 15 years old, where it is prohibited for children under this age to create, use, or operate personal accounts on social media platforms, and they are also barred from accessing the full features of the platforms including social interaction, publishing, commenting, sharing, or joining public groups or open channels or any other widely interactive spaces. The decision mandates the platforms to take all necessary technical and regulatory measures to achieve this, and to consider a gradual transition towards more balanced and healthy digital habits, in line with the different age stages of children and adolescents.
The decision allows children aged between 15 and 16 years to use social media platforms, provided that their accounts are subjected to special protection measures which include content classification and restriction based on age group and disabling high-risk features such as interaction with unknown users, and regulating usage times and durations along with providing parental control tools.
The decision also stipulates that the consent of a guardian does not count as an exception to the prohibitions or restrictions established by it, and allows the person in charge of a child's care to adjust the settings on accounts of children who have reached the age of 15 but not yet 16 via social media platforms' parental control tools in a way that does not conflict with the established prohibitions and restrictions, ensuring a safe digital environment suited to the children’s ages, enhancing positive technology usage in learning and skill acquisition, while minimizing exposure to digital risks.
The decision obligates social media platforms to implement effective and reliable user-age verification mechanisms like digital identity or AI-supported technologies including biometric means or any other mechanisms approved by the Digital Safety Council for Children.
According to "WAM", the decision aligns with advanced global trends in digital child protection and provides a balanced model combining digital safety, family support, platform responsibility, and practical applicability. This supports the UAE's transition to an advanced stage in digital space regulation, based on proactive legislation, institutional integration, and the balance between innovation and protection, enhancing the UAE's position as a global leader in the protection of children and ensuring their safety in the digital age, and reflecting its ongoing commitment to building a safe and sustainable digital society.
