The United Arab Emirates has announced a nationwide ban on social media use for children under the age of 15, becoming the first Arab nation to introduce such restrictions amid growing concerns over online safety and mental health.
Under a new cabinet resolution announced on Thursday, social media platforms operating in the UAE will be required to monitor and disable accounts belonging to users below the age of 15 or face penalties, including possible partial or full blocking of their services.
According to the state-run WAM News Agency, the regulation establishes 15 as the minimum age for social media use.
“The resolution sets the minimum age for social media use at 15 years. Children below this age are prohibited from creating, using, or operating personal accounts on social media platforms,” the statement said.
The government has granted social media companies a 12-month transition period to implement the new requirements and strengthen age-verification measures.
The UAE joins countries such as Australia, Britain and Canada in tightening regulations on children’s access to social media. Australia introduced a landmark ban for users under 16 in late 2025, while Britain announced similar restrictions earlier this week.
Authorities said the decision was driven by concerns over cyberbullying, mental health challenges, online predators, addictive behaviour and declining physical activity among young people.
Under the new rules, children under 15 will be barred from accessing key features of social media platforms, including posting content, commenting, sharing materials, joining public groups and participating in large interactive online communities.
Teenagers aged between 15 and 16 will still be allowed to use social media but under enhanced protection measures, including stricter content controls and screen-time limitations.
The resolution also places responsibility on parents and guardians to prevent underage children from accessing social media or circumventing age-verification systems.
“Parental consent shall not constitute a valid exemption,” the government stated.
Media and telecommunications regulators have been empowered to enforce compliance and impose sanctions on platforms that fail to adhere to the new regulations.
While supporters have welcomed the move as a necessary step toward protecting children online, critics argue that such bans may be difficult to en
force and could push young users towards less regulated digital spaces.