UAE’s Restrictions on Children’s Access to Social Media: What Social Media Platforms Should Know

The Resolution reaches any social media platform whose services are made available in, or directed at users in, the UAE.

By Brian A. Meenagh, Danielle van der Merwe, Ksenia Koroleva, and Fady Saleh

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has issued Cabinet Resolution No. 106 of 2026 Regarding the Regulation of Children’s Access to Social Media Platforms (the Resolution), which prohibits children under 15 from creating, using, or operating personal accounts on social media platforms. The Resolution implements Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2025 on Child Digital Safety, which took effect on January 1, 2026, and established an extraterritorial child digital safety framework applying to digital platforms and internet service providers that operate in, or target users in, the UAE, with obligations covering age verification, privacy settings, parental controls, content filtering, and the processing of children’s personal data. Issued on June 17, 2026, and effective from June 30, 2026, the Resolution grants platforms a 12-month transitional period to comply, adding a concrete, sector-specific layer to the UAE’s broader child digital safety framework.

Link to Key Takeaways Key Takeaways

At a high level, the Resolution:

• applies to all social media platforms (including those operating worldwide), whether free or paid. The Resolution covers any platform available in, or directed at, the UAE.
• establishes age-gating rules. Children under 15 may not create, use, or operate personal accounts, even with parent or caregiver consent. Children aged 15 to under 16 may hold accounts only with mandatory restrictions and enhanced digital protections.
• sets out permitted age-verification mechanisms. The Resolution requires mechanisms beyond self-declaration, including digital government identity, official document scanning with biometric matching, and AI-based age estimation.
• imposes a range of obligations on social media platforms, including detecting and suspending underage accounts, adopting anti-circumvention measures, restricting behavioral advertising, and submitting periodic compliance reports.
• assigns enforcement to the National Media Authority (NMA) and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), with the Child Digital Safety Council responsible for risk assessment, coordination, and the issuance of implementing standards and guidance.

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