UAE Tightens Digital Laws, Sets 15 As Minimum Age For Social Media Use, Bans Underage Accounts

June 18 () — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has approved a new resolution setting 15 years as the minimum age for social media use, introducing sweeping digital restrictions aimed at strengthening child online protection and tightening regulation of platform access across the country.

The decision, announced by the UAE government media office on Thursday, makes the Gulf nation the first Arab country to formally enforce a nationwide minimum age requirement for social media accounts, effectively banning children under 15 from creating or operating personal profiles on any social media platform.

Under the new regulation, minors below the age threshold are prohibited from registering accounts, accessing core platform features, or engaging in typical social media activities such as posting content, commenting, messaging, or participating in online communities.

The policy further requires social media companies operating in the UAE to enforce strict compliance measures, including advanced age-verification systems, digital identity authentication, and artificial intelligence-powered monitoring tools to prevent underage access. Self-declared age entries will no longer be accepted as valid verification.

Authorities say the reform is designed to close loopholes that previously allowed children to bypass age restrictions on popular platforms and to ensure stronger safeguarding of minors in digital spaces increasingly dominated by social interaction and content consumption.

Teenagers aged 15 and 16 will still be permitted to use social media platforms, but under enhanced safety controls, including stricter content filtering, parental supervision tools, limits on interactions with strangers, and restrictions on certain platform functionalities.

The government has also mandated that platforms must ensure children’s data is not used for targeted advertising or profiling, aligning the new framework with broader global concerns over data privacy and child protection in the digital environment.

Social media companies have been given up to 12 months to fully comply with the regulation or risk penalties under UAE digital governance laws. Authorities emphasised that enforcement will be closely monitored, with companies expected to integrate robust compliance mechanisms into their systems.

Officials described the move as part of the UAE’s broader effort to create a safer and more responsible digital ecosystem, particularly for younger users increasingly exposed to online risks such as harmful content, cyberbullying, and data exploitation.

The policy aligns with a growing international trend, as several countries continue to explore stricter age restrictions and digital safety laws targeting minors, amid rising global debate on the impact of social media on children’s mental health and development.