UAE’s New Social Media Law for Under-15s: How Platforms Will Verify Ages, Enforce Restrictions and Protect Children

The UAE has taken a major step in regulating children’s access to social media, becoming the first Arab nation to set a legal minimum age of 15 for using social platforms.

Approved by the UAE Cabinet on Thursday, the new resolution prohibits children under 15 from creating, operating or using personal social media accounts. It also bars them from accessing key platform features such as posting, commenting, sharing content and joining public channels or groups. The move is part of the country’s broader child digital safety framework aimed at reducing online harm and excessive screen exposure.

For social media companies, the law introduces a significant compliance burden. Platforms will now be required to actively monitor users, identify underage accounts and suspend or disable them immediately if they fall below the age threshold.

Age Verification No Longer Optional

One of the biggest changes under the law is the end of self-declared age verification.

Until now, most platforms relied on users simply entering their date of birth when signing up — a system widely criticised for being easy to bypass. Under the new rules, that will no longer be enough.

Platforms operating in the UAE will be required to adopt stronger age-assurance mechanisms to verify users’ digital identities. These may include AI-backed facial analysis, biometric verification tools or other approved technologies endorsed by the Child Digital Safety Council.

Authorities say these systems must meet high standards of accuracy and will be subject to regular review to ensure compliance and transparency.

What Happens to Teenagers Aged 15 and 16?

The law does not completely open social media access to older teenagers.

Instead, users between 15 and 16 will be allowed “regulated access” — meaning their accounts must include stronger safety controls.

This includes age-appropriate content filtering, restrictions on interaction with strangers, screen-time controls and tighter parental oversight.

Parents will be allowed to manage some account settings, but they will not be able to remove or override the mandatory protections imposed by the platforms.

Child Data Can’t be Used for Ads

The new rules also place strong limits on how children’s data can be collected and used.

Social media platforms will be prohibited from using children’s personal data for targeted advertising, behavioural profiling or commercial tracking. Any age-verification system must follow strict child privacy standards, including minimal data collection, secure processing and limited retention periods.

This is designed to ensure that verifying a child’s age does not create new privacy risks.

Parents Still Accountable

Importantly, parental consent will not exempt under-15 children from the ban.

Even if a parent allows a child to use social media, platforms will still be required to restrict access under the law.

At the same time, parents and caregivers are expected to play a more active role in supervising children’s online activity and educating them about digital safety.

Regulators Given Enforcement Powers

Implementation of the new law will be overseen by the UAE’s National Media Authority and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority.

These authorities will have the power to issue warnings, impose penalties or even partially or fully block platforms that fail to comply.

The newly established Child Digital Safety Council will also monitor risks, assess the impact of social media on children and recommend future updates to the regulatory framework.

Platforms have been given a transition period of up to 12 months to implement the new standards.

The move places the UAE among a growing list of countries tightening social media access for minors, as governments worldwide grapple with concerns over cyberbullying, harmful content, addiction and digital privacy.

 

 For any enquiries or information, contact ask@tlr.ae or call us on +971 52 644 3004. Follow The Law Reporters on WhatsApp Channels.