- media@moneyinfocus.news
The United Arab Emirates has established a minimum age of 15 for social media use, becoming the first Arab country to adopt a nationwide restriction aimed at strengthening online protections for children.
Under regulations approved on Thursday, children under the age of 15 will be prohibited from creating, operating or maintaining personal social media accounts. The rules also prevent users in that age group from posting content, commenting, sharing material or participating in public online groups.
Teenagers aged 15 and 16 will be permitted to access social media platforms under enhanced safety requirements, including age-appropriate content settings, limits on interactions with unknown users, screen-time management tools and parental supervision features.
The measures are expected to apply to major social media providers operating in the UAE, including platforms owned by Meta Platforms, YouTube, Snap, Pinterest and Reddit. Companies will have up to 12 months to comply with the new requirements in coordination with local authorities.
The framework requires platforms to implement stronger age-verification mechanisms, including digital identity checks and artificial intelligence-based verification systems. Self-reported ages will no longer be considered sufficient for account validation.
Social media companies will also be required to deactivate accounts belonging to users under 15, prevent attempts to bypass age-verification controls, and prohibit the use of children’s personal data for targeted advertising or behavioral profiling.
The move places the UAE among a growing number of jurisdictions reviewing stricter digital safety standards for minors as governments seek to address concerns related to online content, privacy and the impact of social media on young users.
