In brief
On 17 June 2026, the UAE Cabinet issued Resolution No. 106 of 2026, the first detailed instrument under the Child Digital Safety Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2025). It introduces a hard age limit for social media, backed by mandatory age verification, and applies to any social media platform operating in or directed as users in the UAE. The new rules will come into effect in June 2027.
Key takeaways
The UAE’s new legislation on the regulation of children's access to social media platforms will impose a number of restrictions on digital providers:
- A ban on accounts for under-15s. Children under 15 cannot create or operate a social media account, and a caregiver's consent cannot override the prohibition. Platforms must prevent under age sign-ups and block access to core features such as posting, commenting, sharing, private messaging and joining public groups or channels.
- Restricted tier for 15 16 year olds. Accounts are permitted for 15-16 year olds, but must carry enhanced protections: filtering of harmful and age-inappropriate content, limits on public sharing and contact with unknown users, tools to control daily and night-time usage, user-friendly parental controls, and the restriction or safe-design of higher-risk features like open live-streaming and intensive algorithm recommendation.
- Self-declaration is not sufficient. Platforms must deploy robust, auditable age verification - digital government ID, official-document scanning with biometric matching, AI-based age estimation, or licensed verification providers - built on data minimisation principles. Tick-box age gates and other unapproved methods are not acceptable.
- A limit on advertising and data use. Platforms may not serve children targeted advertising based on tracking or behavioural profiling, or process their data for commercial purposes. Carve-outs apply for processing needed to keep children safe and for general contextual advertising that does not rely on profiling.
- Detection, enforcement and runway. Platforms must also detect and suspend existing under-age accounts, prevent circumvention, run periodic risk assessments and report to the authorities. The Telecommunications & Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) and recently-established National Media Authority can take action for non-compliance, escalating from warnings through to blocking, applied gradually. Social media platforms have a 12-month transition period from publication of the Resolution to comply with the new rules.
Background
The UAE’s move to restrict access to social media by children aligns with a broader international shift from voluntary platform controls to legislated age limits. Australia introduced a world-first ban on social media accounts for under-16s in December 2025 and the EU is debating a harmonised default age of 16. The UAE’s threshold of 15 with no parental override places it among stricter regimes and cements its position as an early mover in the Gulf.
Conclusion
A number of points will need clarification before platforms can operationalise full compliance with confidence – including how the Resolution’s scope interacts with the broader framework under the Law, the technical standards for age verification, and the detail of the enforcement and penalties regime. We are tracking these developments closely and advising clients on what they mean in practice.