UAE Bans Children Under 15 From Social Media, Mandates Strict Age Verification

The United Arab Emirates has officially banned children under 15 from creating or using personal social media accounts, marking the first Arab nation to implement such a minimum age restriction amid global concerns over online risks to youth. The new resolution, approved by the UAE Cabinet, prohibits under-15s from posting, commenting, sharing content, or joining public groups, while allowing 15- and 16-year-olds to access platforms only with enhanced safeguards like age-appropriate content filters, restricted interactions with strangers, and parental supervision tools. Social media companies operating in the UAE must deploy reliable age-verification mechanisms—including digital identity checks and AI-supported biometric tools—within 12 months, with self-declaration of age explicitly rejected as insufficient. The ban aims to protect children from inappropriate content, unsafe online interactions, addictive behavior, and the commercial collection of personal data, and parental consent cannot override these restrictions.