The United Arab Emirates has made history as the first Arab country to prohibit children under the age of 15 from creating personal social media accounts, with no exceptions, even for those with parental consent.
The landmark rules were approved by the UAE cabinet on Thursday, placing the Gulf nation at the forefront of a growing global movement to shield minors from the risks posed by social media platforms, including harmful content, predatory interactions, excessive screen time, and the harvesting of personal data.
Under the new regulations, children below the age threshold are barred not only from creating accounts but from accessing core platform features such as social interaction, publishing, commenting, sharing, and joining public groups or open channels.
Crucially, the rules place enforcement responsibility squarely on the platforms themselves, a departure from some international frameworks that permit younger users to access social media with a parent’s approval.
“The resolution sets the minimum age for social media use at 15 years,” the official WAM news agency reported, citing the cabinet resolution. “Children below this age are prohibited from creating, using, or operating personal accounts on social media platforms.”
Teenagers aged 15 and 16 will be permitted to use platforms, but under a strengthened set of protections. These include age-appropriate content filters, restrictions on contact from unknown users, screen-time management tools, and parental oversight features.
The move positions the UAE alongside countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom, which have pursued similar measures.
