UAE bans social media accounts for children under 15
Platforms must verify ages with digital IDs or AI and have 12 months to comply under the new rules.
The United Arab Emirates has set a minimum age of 15 for using social media, becoming the first Arab country to impose such a limit. The rules, approved on June 18, bar children under 15 from creating, using or managing personal accounts, including for posting, commenting, sharing content and joining public groups. Teens ages 15-16 may still use platforms, but with added safeguards such as limits on contact with strangers, age-appropriate content controls, screen-time management tools and parental monitoring features. All platforms in the UAE will also be required to adopt strong age verification, including digital identity checks and AI-based technology, and disable accounts belonging to children under 15.