The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has introduced a nationwide ban on social media use for children under the age of 15, tightening rules on digital access for minors in a move that aligns it with other countries including Australia, Britain, and Canada.
According to the official WAM news agency, citing a cabinet resolution, platforms will be required to actively monitor and disable accounts belonging to under-15s or face sanctions, including possible blocking.
“The resolution sets the minimum age for social media use at 15 years,” WAM reported.
“Children below this age are prohibited from creating, using, or operating personal accounts on social media platforms.”
The policy further restricts access to core platform functions. It states that under-15s are barred from “accessing the full features of such platforms, including social interaction, publishing, commenting, sharing, joining public groups, open channels, or any large-scale interactive spaces”.
A transition period of 12 months has been granted to allow platforms to comply with the new requirements.
The resolution also gives UAE media and telecommunications regulators authority to enforce compliance, including issuing warnings, applying administrative penalties, or ordering partial or full platform blocks.
The move follows similar action in Australia, which began implementing a world-first under-16 social media restriction in December, and recent policy shifts in Britain aimed at tightening protections for children online.
Smartphone with social media app icons
