A few days ago the UK government announced a ban on social media for children under 16, and now the UAE is following suit by effectively banning social media for those under 15. The UAE is the first Arab country to introduce such a measure.
Children under 15 are prohibited from creating, using, or operating personal social media accounts. They will not be able to post content, comment, share, or join public groups.
Those aged 15 to 16 will be allowed on social media subject to age-appropriate content controls, restrictions on interaction with unknown users, screen-time management tools, and parental supervision features.
The new rules require social media companies to implement age verification features, including digital identity checks and AI-supported technologies. Self-declaration of age will not be accepted as a valid form of verification.
Accounts previously created by children under 15 will have to be disabled by the social media platforms, which should also prevent users from circumventing age verification systems (though it’s not clear how) and refrain from using children’s personal data for targeted advertising or behavioral profiling.
Social media companies have one year to comply with the new regulations.
