The United Arab Emirates Cabinet has approved a resolution banning children under the age of 15 from creating or using personal accounts on social media platforms, with parental or caregiver consent explicitly rejected as a valid exemption, Khaleej Times reported on Thursday.
The resolution, chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, builds on Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2025 on Child Digital Safety, which entered into force on January 1, 2026. Children aged 15 to 16 will be permitted to use social media platforms only with enhanced protective measures applied to their accounts, including age-appropriate content classification, restricted high-risk features, regulated usage time, and parental control tools, while a separate provision restricts the collection of personal data of children under 13 without verifiable parental consent.
Platforms have until December 31, 2026, to comply with the new requirements, with the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) overseeing enforcement.
The resolution goes further than what parents might expect. Even if a caregiver gives their consent, their permission cannot be used as a valid exemption from the restrictions set in the resolution.
The resolution places active responsibilities on parents and guardians who are now legally obliged to oversee their children’s digital activity. The law also furnishes them with tools to guide their children on responsible digital engagement.
Social media platforms are required to have reliable and accurate age verification systems. Companies must track non-compliant accounts and take immediate action involving the enforcement of laws. The will give Social media platforms up to 12 months to implement the new standards, in coordination with the authorities.
The law applies to any digital platform that operates in or has users in the UAE, regardless of where the company is situated.
The UAE Cabinet resolution directly affects an estimated 3.5 million Indians living in the country, the UAE’s largest expatriate community, including many families with school-age children.
The move differs from India’s current digital safety framework. Under the anyone under 18 is classified as a child, and platforms must obtain parental consent before processing children’s personal data.
However, India does not currently prohibit social media use by minors. Discussions around age-based restrictions have emerged in recent years, including
The UAE’s stricter approach, particularly its decision not to allow parental consent as an exemption, comes as governments worldwide debate how best to regulate children’s access to social media.
The UAE has joined the -Australia, Indonesia, Turkey, Greece, France, Denmark and several others- who tightened child population’s access to social media.
The UAE’s approach is noteworthy for its emphasis on prevention over punishment and its clear, direct rejection of parental consent as overriding.
Legal experts stated that this resolution is different. While older laws responded to the harm that occurred, the Child Digital Safety Law is designed to prevent it.
(The article was curated by Seekriti Saha, who is an intern at The Indian Express)
