UAE Bans Social Media for Children Under 15 Years Old

The United Arab Emirates has enacted a ban on social media for children under the age of 15, making it the first Arab nation to introduce such restrictions. This decision was approved by the UAE Cabinet and establishes a minimum age of 15 for creating personal social media accounts.

The ban prohibits children below this age from posting content, commenting, sharing, or joining public groups on social media platforms. A 12-month transition period has been set for disabling accounts of underage users, with the risk of blocking by telecom media regulators for non-compliance.

Additionally, the law prohibits platforms from tracking the personal data of children for commercial purposes or targeted advertising. This initiative reflects growing societal concerns regarding excessive screen time, cyberbullying, and exposure to inappropriate content, with caregivers expected to play an active role in supervising children's digital activities and encouraging outdoor and extracurricular activities to balance screen time.