UAE Bans Children Under 15 from Social Media

The United Arab Emirates has banned children under 15 from social media, joining a growing list of countries cracking down on young people’s access to online platforms.

Under a cabinet resolution chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, “The resolution sets the minimum age for social media use at 15 years,” the state-run WAM news agency reported. “Children below this age are prohibited from creating, using, or operating personal accounts on social media platforms.”

The ban covers not just account ownership but also “accessing the full features of such platforms, including social interaction, publishing, commenting, sharing, joining public groups, open channels, or any large-scale interactive spaces.” Notably, parental consent cannot override the ban, and self-declaration of age will not be accepted as valid verification.

Platforms have 12 months to comply or face penalties ranging from warnings to “partial or full blocking of platforms or the imposition of applicable administrative penalties,” according to the resolution. Companies are also barred from targeting children with personalised advertising or processing their data for commercial purposes.

Children aged 15 to 16 will be permitted limited access under enhanced protections including content filters, restricted interaction with strangers, regulated screen time and parental controls. The move follows similar bans by Australia, Britain, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia and Turkey, reflecting a sweeping global reckoning with social media’s impact on child safety and mental health.