The UAE has laid out the details of its recently issued Cabinet Decision regulating children's access to social media, setting 15 as the minimum age for creating personal accounts and introducing a tiered system of protections for younger users.
The Child Digital Safety Council held a media briefing at Creators HQ in Dubai to explain the decision's provisions and implementation mechanisms, days after it was issued. The session was attended by Minister of Family Sana bint Mohammed Suhail alongside officials from the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, the Ministry of Health and Prevention, and the National Media Authority.
Under the decision, platforms must prevent users under 15 from creating accounts or accessing full interactive features. Children aged 15 and under 16 will be permitted limited access through an enhanced protection framework, including restricted high-risk features and dedicated parental controls.
Officials placed the decision within a broader national legislative framework that already includes more than 50 instruments protecting children and families. Age verification will rely on tools such as UAE PASS, official identification and AI-based age estimation, with self-declaration explicitly ruled out as valid.
TDRA Director-General Majed Al Mesmar confirmed platforms operating in or targeting UAE users will be given a 12-month transitional period to achieve compliance.
Health officials linked the policy to evidence connecting excessive social media use among children to sleep disorders, anxiety and reduced concentration. The National Media Authority said it will separately introduce content standards and an age classification framework for platforms and parents.
Officials reiterated that enforcement targets platform compliance only, not individual monitoring, with data privacy described as a non-negotiable principle underpinning the rollout.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
