UAE Sets 15 as Minimum Age for Social Media: What the Resolution Actually Requires

On 18 June 2026, the UAE Cabinet issued a resolution setting 15 as the minimum age for social media access and imposing detailed obligations on platforms, caregivers and oversight bodies. The resolution implements Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2025 on Child Digital Safety (‘the Child Digital Safety Law’), which entered into force on 1 January 2026. Platforms are granted 12 months to bring their operations into compliance.

At a Glance

The table below summarises the resolution’s core parameters before the detailed analysis that follows.

Scope of the Resolution

The resolution applies to all social media platforms that enable users to create accounts or personal profiles, engage in social interaction, publish or share content, or rely on algorithmic systems to display, rank or recommend content — whether the service is free or paid.

Crucially, the resolution applies to all platforms whose services are available within the UAE or are directed at users in the country, irrespective of where the platform is headquartered. This extraterritorial reach is explicit and mirrors the approach of the EU’s GDPR and Digital Services Act.

The Age Restrictions

The resolution draws a firm line at age 15, with a distinct and more permissive regime for 15 to 16 year olds.

Under 15: Full Prohibition

Children below the age of 15 are prohibited from creating, using or operating personal accounts on social media platforms. They are also prohibited from accessing the full features of those platforms, including:

• social interaction, publishing, commenting and sharing;
• joining public groups, open channels or large-scale interactive spaces.

Platforms are required to implement all necessary technical and administrative measures to enforce this prohibition. Parental consent does not constitute a valid exemption from the prohibition.

Ages 15 to 16: Permitted With Enhanced Protections

Children aged 15 to 16 may use social media platforms, subject to enhanced protective measures applied to their accounts by default. The resolution specifies that these must include:

• age-appropriate content classification and restriction;
• disabling high-risk features, including interaction with unknown users;
• regulation of usage time and duration; and
• provision of parental control tools.

A caregiver may configure the settings of a 15-to-16-year-old’s account through the parental control tools provided by the platform, but only to the extent that such configuration does not contravene the prescribed prohibitions and restrictions. Caregivers cannot use parental controls to remove the default protections.

Age Verification: The Standard Required

The resolution sets a high and specific standard for age verification. Platforms must implement mechanisms that are “effective and reliable”. Acceptable methods include:

• digital identity verification;
• AI-supported technologies, such as biometric tools; or
• any other mechanism approved by the Child Digital Safety Council.

Self-declaration of age is explicitly excluded as a valid verification method. Platforms that currently rely on users entering a date of birth at registration will need to replace or supplement that approach.

Verification mechanisms must achieve a high level of accuracy in determining user age. They must also comply with child privacy and data protection standards, specifically:

• minimising data collection;
• securing data processing; and
• ensuring data is not retained beyond the period strictly necessary.

Mechanisms must be subject to regular review and audit. Platforms must provide clear information to users on how their verification systems operate.

Platform Obligations in Full

Beyond age verification and the age-based account restrictions, platforms are required to:

• Monitor and enforce — actively monitor for accounts held by users under 15 in violation of the resolution and take immediate action to suspend or disable them.
• Prevent circumvention — implement technical and administrative measures to prevent users from bypassing their age verification and restriction systems.
• Prohibit targeted advertising at children — platforms must not target children with personalised advertising based on tracking or behavioural profiling, and must not exploit or process children’s personal data for commercial purposes that depend on monitoring or tracking their digital activity.
• Provide parental control tools — and make available awareness materials for children and their caregivers.
• Conduct periodic risk assessments — specifically, child digital safety risk assessments.
• Submit regular reports — to the competent authorities.

Caregiver Obligations

The resolution also imposes explicit responsibilities on caregivers. These are:

• not enabling a child to use platforms in violation of the resolution;
• not circumventing age verification mechanisms;
• exercising effective supervision over the child’s permitted digital activity; and
• promoting the child’s awareness of digital risks and safe usage practices.

These obligations are relevant not only as a matter of regulatory compliance, but in any legal context where questions of parental responsibility, child welfare, or online harm arise, including custody disputes before the UAE courts.

Oversight and Enforcement

Oversight is assigned to two authorities, each within its respective jurisdiction: the National Media Authority (NMA), responsible for content-related compliance, and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), responsible for technical and platform-level compliance.

Both authorities have the power to take enforcement action in the event of non-compliance. The resolution provides for graduated enforcement measures, including warnings, partial or full blocking of platforms, and the imposition of applicable administrative penalties.

The Child Digital Safety Council is responsible for assessing risks associated with children’s access to social media, proposing mitigation measures in coordination with relevant federal and local authorities, and overseeing the ongoing development of the child digital safety framework.

Transitional Period

Platforms are granted a transitional period of up to 12 months to bring their operations into compliance. The resolution requires that platforms ensure effective communication and coordination with the competent authorities during this period to achieve technical and regulatory readiness.

Legal Context

The resolution sits within an integrated legislative framework that includes:

• the Child Rights Law;
• legislation on combating cybercrimes;
• the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL);
• media regulation; and
• the Child Digital Safety Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2025).

Compliance with the resolution therefore cannot be assessed in isolation. Platforms and organisations must consider their obligations across all of these instruments, and legal advice should address the full regulatory landscape.

Practical Implications

The resolution’s requirements touch several distinct groups, each facing a different set of practical questions.

For Social Media Platforms

The compliance requirements are technically demanding and operationally broad. Organisations should begin their assessment now across:

• age verification infrastructure (moving beyond self-declaration);
• account monitoring and enforcement systems for under-15 users;
• default account settings and content controls for 15 to 16 year olds;
• advertising and data processing practices in relation to minors;
• parental control tools and caregiver-facing documentation;
• risk assessment and reporting procedures; and
• terms of service and privacy documentation.

For Families and Individuals

A child’s social media use, and whether it complied with these rules, may be relevant in custody disputes, child welfare proceedings and cases involving online harm. Caregivers now have explicit statutory obligations. Where a child has experienced cyberbullying, harassment, image misuse, blackmail or privacy violations, evidence should be preserved carefully and legal advice sought promptly.

For Schools

Schools are not directly addressed in the resolution but will be affected in practice. Policies on student digital activity, reporting of online harm, and online safety education should be reviewed in light of the new framework.

Key Questions

Does parental consent allow a child under 15 to have an account?

No. The resolution explicitly provides that parental consent does not constitute a valid exemption from the prohibition on under-15s creating or using accounts.

Can a caregiver use parental controls to remove the default protections for a 15 to 16 year old?

No. Caregivers may configure settings through parental control tools, but only to the extent that doing so does not contravene the prescribed prohibitions and restrictions. The default protections are a floor, not a starting point for negotiation.

What verification methods are acceptable?

Digital identity verification, AI-supported methods such as biometric tools, or any other mechanism approved by the Child Digital Safety Council. Self-declaration of age is explicitly not acceptable.

What enforcement action can authorities take?

The resolution provides for graduated enforcement: warnings, partial or full blocking of platforms, and applicable administrative penalties. The NMA and TDRA each have authority within their respective jurisdictions.

Does this apply to platforms based outside the UAE?

Yes. The resolution applies to all platforms whose services are available within the UAE or are directed at users in the country, regardless of where the platform is headquartered.

This publication does not provide any legal advice and is for information purposes only.