The UAE has introduced a significant new resolution aimed at enhancing digital safety, which effectively bans children under the age of 15 from creating or using social media accounts. Under these new regulations, simply self-declaring one’s age—a common practice that has proven unreliable—will no longer be accepted. Instead, social media platforms are now mandated to implement robust, AI-driven verification tools, such as biometric systems, to accurately confirm the identity of their users. While those aged 15 to 16 will be permitted to access platforms, their accounts will be subject to strict protective measures and parental controls that cannot be bypassed, even with parental consent.

Compliance is mandatory, and oversight will be managed by the National Media Authority and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, which have the power to issue warnings, impose fines, or even block platforms that fail to meet these standards. Furthermore, the new policy places a heavy emphasis on data privacy, explicitly forbidding the use of children's data for targeted advertising or commercial profiling. The Child Digital Safety Council will oversee the rollout of these measures, ensuring that platforms adhere to data minimization principles while continuously refining the framework to protect minors in an evolving digital landscape.