UAE announces social media ban for children under 15

• UAE bans social media use for children under 15
• Platforms given 12 months to comply
• Violations could lead to partial or full platform blocking

United Arab Emirates announced Thursday a decision to ban children under the age of 15 from using social media platforms, becoming the first Arab country to adopt such legislation, following similar measures introduced in Western countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Ban provisions and platform responsibility

According to the decision issued by the UAE Cabinet and reported by the official Emirates News Agency (WAM), the new legislation includes several regulatory measures.

Under the rules, children under 15 are officially prohibited from creating, using, or operating personal accounts on social media platforms.

The decision also bans children in this age group from engaging in digital interaction, including posting, commenting, sharing content, or joining public groups, open channels, and large-scale interactive spaces.

The UAE government granted social media companies a 12-month compliance period to implement technical measures and disable accounts that violate the new rules.

Graduated penalties up to full blocking

The decision grants UAE media and telecommunications regulators broad enforcement powers and authorizes escalating measures against platforms that fail to comply.

These measures include:

• Official warnings
• Partial blocking of platforms
• Full blocking and suspension of operations within the country
• Administrative penalties and fines

Aligning with global trends

The move follows Australia's introduction of a ban for children under the age of 16 in December, followed by the United Kingdom announcing similar restrictions this week.

Authorities said the measures aim to protect younger generations' mental health and reduce exposure to cyber risks.