As families in the UAE consider not just whether children are online, but how safely they navigate the digital world, the country is tightening control over children's use of social media. Experts urge parents to pay attention not only to age restrictions but also to children's habits, risks, and online behavior that affects their well-being.
New UAE Legislation
Under the new rules announced by the UAE Cabinet on June 18, 2026, children under 15 will be prohibited from creating or using personal social media accounts. Furthermore, platforms are required to implement more robust age verification systems and restrict access to certain features for young users. Platforms have been granted a 12-month grace period, extending until mid-2027, to fully comply with the requirements.
Experts' Views on Risks
Psychiatrists, educators, cybersecurity specialists, and lawyers consider the new regulations an important step toward creating a safer online environment. However, they warn that regulation alone is insufficient; protecting children online requires shared responsibility from parents, schools, regulators, and technology companies.
Mental health specialists note a growing concern regarding children's use of social media as evidence mounts linking excessive screen time to emotional and developmental issues. Dr. Ruqayya Awade, a specialist psychiatrist at Sultan Bin Zayed Hospital in Sharjah, advises parents to approach any restrictions from a protective standpoint rather than a punitive one. She insists on open communication with the child, explaining that the goal of limiting social media use is to protect mental health and support development, not to deprive or punish.
According to her, it is necessary to offer children engaging alternatives such as sports, hobbies, reading, and face-to-face social interaction, as these activities shape a child's character and foster a sense of belonging more effectively than the virtual world. Studies show risks associated with excessive social media use among children and adolescents, including anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, low self-esteem, cyberbullying, and decreased academic performance. It is also noted that excessive time online can lead to reduced physical activity and potential delays in speech and social skill development in younger children due to lack of real-world interaction.
Joint Efforts of Schools and Parents
Educational institutions are facing the consequences of early child access to social media. Akram Tariq, Director and CEO of GEMS Founders School – Al Mizhar and Founders brand ambassador, notes that many children begin using platforms long before reaching the minimum age set by the companies themselves. He emphasizes that while schools make enormous efforts to educate families about risks and age restrictions, this task remains challenging. Tariq links this trend to earlier access to smartphones, peer influence, and the normalization of social media in family life, warning that access does not always equate to readiness.
He highlights the potential gap between a child's access to social media and their emotional readiness to handle it. Despite schools implementing digital citizenship and online safety programs, problems persist, including cyberbullying, social comparison, pressure for online validation, exposure to inappropriate content, and difficulties disconnecting from platforms. Tariq stresses that online conflicts often spill from school into the home, making parental involvement vital.
Law Enforcement Mechanisms
Ashish Mehta, founder and managing partner of Ashish Mehta & Associates, explains that the UAE decree adopts a technologically neutral approach, obligating social media companies to implement effective age verification systems rather than relying on user self-declarations. Article 4(2) of Decree No. (106) of 2026 lists acceptable verification methods, such as verification through government digital identification, scanning official documents with biometric matching, AI-based age assessment technologies, approved age verification service providers, or any other mechanism approved by the Child Digital Safety Council.
Mehta also points out that platforms must be able to integrate with approved national age verification systems upon request. He warns that while VPNs are not banned in the UAE in general, their misuse can result in fines. The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) classifies content prohibited by UAE laws as restricted. Consequently, using a VPN to bypass this local ban and access social media can lead to sanctions.
Balance Between Safety and Privacy
Cybersecurity experts emphasize that effective law enforcement requires sophisticated technologies while ensuring user privacy. Darrell Virtusio of Acronis TRU believes that no solution can completely eliminate attempts to circumvent age restrictions. The goal should be a significant reduction in risks, not the assumption of preventing every circumvention attempt.
He explains that digital identity verification provides the strongest guarantee because it cross-references age with official records, and biometric matching and live verification help confirm that the user is the legitimate account owner. AI age assessment determines whether a person appears older or younger than a specific threshold without identifying them. Virtusio believes that the most reliable systems will combine multiple approaches: using AI assessment for low-risk cases and stricter verification methods where uncertainty exists. At the same time, he cautions against creating large databases of sensitive personal information, stressing the need for stringent security measures, independent audits, data minimization, and clear deletion policies.
