UAE child social media rules widen tech exposure

The UAE government has introduced strict new regulations on children's access to social media and digital platforms, drawing a wide range of tech services under a comprehensive child-safety compliance regime. Cabinet Resolution No. 106 of 2026 stipulates that individuals under 15 cannot create, use or operate personal social media accounts or engage with features like posting, commenting and interacting in public spaces.

Users aged 15 to under 16 may retain access but must face enhanced safeguards. Jamie Ryder, a partner at international law firm Reed Smith, highlighted that the definition of a "social media platform" for compliance purposes is far broader than many companies might anticipate. This could encompass gaming services with player profiles, streaming platforms utilizing personalized recommendation engines, education technology services with discussion forums, ecommerce platforms featuring reviews or community sections, and fitness apps that permit user connections or content sharing.

The Ministry of Family has currently implemented the regime for major platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. However, the broader legislative framework outlined in Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2025 on Child Digital Safety extends to a much wider digital landscape, including websites, mobile applications, gaming platforms, streaming services, ecommerce platforms, and other services where children may encounter content.

Companies must introduce robust age-verification systems, which can involve digital identity verification, checks with official identification, biometric techniques, artificial intelligence-based age estimation, or specialist age-verification providers. These systems must be proportionate, privacy-conscious and designed with privacy-by-design principles, gathering only the necessary information to verify age while avoiding unnecessary data retention.

Platform operators face significant technical and privacy challenges, particularly in implementing reliable age assurance methods that comply with UAE data protection regulations. Failure to comply with these regulations can lead to administrative measures and, in severe cases, partial or complete service blocking. The UAE's approach reflects a broader international trend toward holding technology companies directly accountable for protecting younger users, with other jurisdictions like Australia and various European nations pursuing similar measures.