UAE bans children under 15 from opening or using social media accounts

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The UAE Cabinet has banned children under 15 from creating, using or operating personal accounts on social media platforms, the official WAM news agency reported. The decision places the Gulf country alongside Australia, Britain and Canada in tightening rules for minors online. Under the new rules, technology companies and social media platforms operating in the UAE will be required to introduce strict age-verification mechanisms, including AI-supported facial recognition systems or links to the national digital identity database. Companies that fail to comply will face tiered financial penalties. Parents who facilitate accounts for children below the legal age will also be exposed to legal and financial liability. WAM said the cabinet acted after warnings from digital quality-of-life councils and health and safety bodies about online blackmail, cyberbullying, screen addiction and adverse effects on mental health. The move comes as Australia implements a similar restriction for children under 16, Britain advances its Online Safety Act, and several US states debate school-level phone and platform bans. No further details on the implementation timeline were immediately available.