UAE Bans Children Under 15 from Social Media, Similar to Indonesian Rules
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the latest country to restrict children’s access to social media. The government has officially banned children under the age of 15 from owning or using social media accounts as part of efforts to strengthen child protection in the digital space.
Through a cabinet decision ratified on Thursday (18/06), social media platforms were given 12 months to review and delete all accounts owned by users under the age of 15. Platforms that fail to comply with the rule risk severe sanctions, including a ban on operating in the UAE.
State news agency WAM reported that the new rule sets the minimum age for social media use at 15 years. Children below this age limit are prohibited from creating, using, or managing personal accounts.
The UAE government stated this policy is implemented to reduce the risk of exposure to age-inappropriate content, unsafe online interactions, excessive social media use, and the collection of children’s personal data by digital platforms.
The UAE is the first Arab country to implement an age restriction on social media use. Previously, Australia led the way by imposing a ban for children under 16 in December 2025, citing the protection of children’s mental health, prevention of cyberbullying, and reducing the negative impact of device usage on physical activity.
Several other countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, and some European nations have also tightened rules regarding social media use by children and teenagers.
In the UAE, such policies have not escaped criticism. Some parties consider the ban difficult to enforce effectively and potentially limiting children’s space to build social relationships in the digital era.
According to WAM, the new rule in the UAE is in line with global trends in child protection in the digital space. Children under 15 are not only prohibited from having accounts but also cannot access key social media features such as interacting with other users, uploading content, commenting, sharing posts, joining public groups, open channels, or large-scale interaction spaces.
The UAE telecommunications authority has also been granted the authority to take action against platforms that do not comply with these provisions.
Meanwhile, teenagers aged 15 to 16 are still allowed to use social media. However, their access must be equipped with additional protection features, such as age-appropriate content filtering, screen time restrictions, and limitations on interactions with unknown users.
Indonesia itself already has regulations concerning child protection in the digital space. The policy is outlined in Government Regulation (PP) Number 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic System Operation in Child Protection (PP TUNAS), signed by President Prabowo Subianto on 28 March 2025.
This regulation does not prohibit children from accessing the internet entirely but requires digital platforms to implement protections based on age and service risk levels. In the initial phase of this policy, user accounts for children under 16 in Indonesia were deactivated on several high-risk platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, Instagram, X (Twitter), Bigo Live, and Roblox.