UAE bans social media for children under 15, impacting 3.5 million Indians
The United Arab Emirates Cabinet has approved a resolution that prohibits children under the age of 15 from creating or using personal accounts on social media platforms. The resolution, chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, explicitly rejects parental or caregiver consent as a valid exemption, according to a report by Khaleej Times on Thursday.
The resolution builds on Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2025 on Child Digital Safety, which came into effect on January 1, 2026. Children aged 15 to 16 may use social media platforms only with enhanced protective measures, including age-appropriate content classification, restricted high-risk features, regulated usage time, and parental control tools. A separate provision restricts the collection of personal data of children under 13 without verifiable parental consent.
Social media platforms have until December 31, 2026, to comply with the new requirements. The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) will oversee enforcement.
The resolution places active responsibilities on parents and guardians, who are now legally obliged to oversee their children's digital activity. The law also provides them with tools to guide children on responsible digital engagement.
Social media platforms are required to implement reliable and accurate age verification systems. Companies must track non-compliant accounts and take immediate action to enforce the law. The UAE will give platforms up to 12 months to implement the new standards, in coordination with authorities. The law applies to any digital platform that operates in or has users in the UAE, regardless of the company's location.
The resolution directly affects an estimated 3.5 million Indians living in the UAE, the country's largest expatriate community, including many families with school-age children. The move differs from India's current digital safety framework. Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, 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 proposals in Karnataka and observations by courts and policymakers on child online safety.
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 joins a growing list of countries—including Australia, Indonesia, Turkey, Greece, France, Denmark, and several others—that have tightened children's access to social media. Legal experts note that the UAE's approach emphasizes prevention over punishment.
