In a strict measure to safeguard minors, the UAE government has restricted social media access to individuals aged under 15. With this, the UAE has become the first Arab nation to have taken the measure in order to curb the scope of negative impact that online platforms have historically had on impressionable children.
Under the guidelines, UAE-based minors under 15 will not be allowed to create their own social media accounts. Those aged between 15-16, meanwhile, will have partial access to these platforms.
All social media companies operating in the UAE will have to tighten their content moderation measures and provide parental control tools on their respective platforms. In addition, the apps will be required to deploy tools to facilitate age-appropriate content classification, disable interactions with strangers, and set screen time limits, the UAE Cabinet announced on Thursday.
Social media companies like Meta, Snap, and TikTok among others have been granted upto 12 months to comply with these guidelines.
“Platforms are required to implement accurate and reliable age verification mechanisms, monitor non-compliant accounts and take immediate action to enforce compliance,” the official instructions said.
Parents who consent to their minor kids having an online presence will not be granted an exemption from the strict prohibitions and restrictions set out in the resolution.
The UAE has been taking active measures to underage children from getting exposed to social media and habitual to prolonged screen times. Earlier in January this year, the UAE governmentg introduced its Child Digital Safety Law, making parents legally responsible for the online safety of their minor kids.
The need for these controls came after research reports showed a major spike in issues like anciety, attential deficiencies, academic struggles, and even speech delays among minors because of their early exposure to social media. Khaleej Times had reported in 2024 that children spend upto three hours glued to the screens each day on an average.
For now, these guidelines do not extend to minors’ use of generative AI chatbots in the UAE — a new-forming habit that have already led to catastrophic incidents in other parts of the world. Earlier this month, for instance, a lawsuit against OpenAI was filed in Canada by Kristie Carrier who lost her 24-year daughter to suicide. The lawsuit claims that the deceased expressed suicidal thoughts to ChatGPT multiple times and the chatbot assumed the role of a therapist/friend.
The need for stricter oversight over minors using social media has grabbed spotlight in several parts of the world in recent years. The U.K., Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, and Greece have also recently taken actions to ensure that underaged individuals are protected against online risks posed by social media apps.
