UAE Bans Social Media Use for Children Under 15

The UAE Cabinet has enacted a resolution prohibiting children under the age of 15 from using social media platforms. This decision, announced on a Thursday, mandates that social media companies monitor and disable accounts created by users younger than 15 years old.

Companies that fail to comply with this new regulation will face penalties, which may include restrictions on their services. A 12-month transition period has been established for the implementation of these measures.

The resolution aims to limit the online interactions of children under 15, barring them from accessing full platform features such as publishing comments, sharing, and joining public groups. The UAE joins a growing list of countries, including Australia and Britain, that have introduced similar restrictions to protect younger users online.

The resolution also empowers UAE's media and telecommunications authority to enforce compliance, including the potential for partial or full blocking of non-compliant platforms.