United Arab Emirates Social Media Minimum Age Regulation (2026)

United Arab Emirates Social Media Minimum Age Regulation (2026) is a legislative measure adopted by the Cabinet of the United Arab Emirates on 18 June 2026 to regulate age limits for children’s access to social media platforms, age verification mechanisms, and platform obligations. The regulation was adopted by the Cabinet under the chairmanship of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister. The regulation sets the minimum age for social media use at 15.

The regulation was adopted to address the increasing use of social media platforms by children and the associated digital risks. The risks addressed under the regulation include exposure to inappropriate content, unsafe online interactions, collection of personal data, and excessive usage patterns.

^{Representative image of social media - (Anadolu Agency)}

The decision applies to all social media platforms, whether free or paid, that allow users to create accounts or personal profiles, engage in social interactions, publish or share content, or utilize algorithmic systems for content display, ranking, or recommendation. The regulation covers all social media platforms that provide services within the United Arab Emirates or target users in the country.

The regulation forms part of the legal framework comprising the Children’s Rights Law, legislation on combating cybercrime, regulations on the protection of personal data, media laws, and provisions on children’s digital safety.

The decision sets the minimum age for social media use at 15. Children under this age are prohibited from creating, using, or operating personal accounts on social media platforms. Children are also barred from accessing all platform features including social interaction, posting, commenting, sharing, joining public groups, and participating in open channels or large-scale interactive spaces.

Platforms are required to implement all necessary technical and administrative measures to enforce this prohibition.

Children aged 15 to 16 are permitted to use social media platforms provided they are subject to enhanced protective measures. These measures include age-appropriate content classification and restrictions, disabling high-risk features such as interaction with unknown users, regulating usage duration and timing, and providing parental control tools.

The decision explicitly stipulates that parental consent does not constitute a valid exemption from the prohibitions or restrictions outlined in the regulation. It also permits the child’s guardian to configure accounts for children aged 15 to 16 using the parental control tools provided by the platforms, provided such configurations comply with the stated prohibitions and restrictions.

Platforms are required to implement effective and reliable age verification mechanisms, including digital identity verification, biometric tools, artificial intelligence-supported technologies, or other mechanisms approved by the Child Digital Safety Council.

User self-declaration of age is not accepted as a valid verification method. Platforms must ensure that their verification mechanisms achieve a high degree of accuracy in determining user age while adhering to the highest standards for child privacy and protection of personal data. This includes minimizing data collection, ensuring secure data processing, and prohibiting the retention of data for longer than strictly necessary.

According to the decision, verification mechanisms are subject to regular review and oversight, and users must be provided with clear information on how these mechanisms operate.

All social media platforms providing services within the UAE or targeting users in the country are required to monitor and immediately suspend or deactivate personal accounts created by children under 15 in violation of the regulation’s provisions.

Platforms are also required to implement necessary technical and administrative measures to prevent circumvention of safeguards, avoid targeting children with personalized advertising based on tracking or behavioral profiling, and refrain from processing or exploiting personal data for commercial purposes based on monitoring or tracking children’s digital activities.

Platforms are required to provide parental control tools and awareness materials for children and guardians, conduct periodic child digital safety risk assessments, and submit regular reports to competent authorities.

The decision affirms the responsibilities of the child’s guardian, which include preventing the child from using platforms in violation of the regulation’s provisions, avoiding circumvention of age verification mechanisms, applying effective supervision over the child’s permitted digital activities, and enhancing the child’s awareness of digital risks and safe usage practices.

Oversight and enforcement of compliance with the obligations, controls, and standards set out in the regulation are assigned to the National Media Authority and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulation Authority, each within its respective jurisdiction. These authorities have the power to take all necessary measures, including issuing warnings, partially or fully blocking platforms, and imposing administrative penalties in a graduated manner for non-compliance.

The Child Digital Safety Council is tasked with evaluating the risks and impacts of children’s access to social media platforms and coordinating with relevant federal and local authorities to propose necessary measures to address and mitigate these risks. The Council ensures the effective implementation of the regulation and the continuous improvement of the child digital safety framework.

Social media platforms are granted a transition period of up to 12 months to align their operations with the regulation’s provisions. During this period, platforms are expected to maintain effective communication and coordination with competent authorities to ensure technical and regulatory preparedness.

The UAE has joined a group of countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada, that have adopted similar measures on children’s social media use. Following Australia’s introduction in December of the world’s first social media ban for users under 16, a number of countries, including the United Kingdom which announced its ban on 15 June 2026, have taken similar steps. Indonesia, Malaysia, Türkiye and many European countries have also implemented measures targeting young people’s social media use.