KABUL (Pajhwok): The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has approved new regulations banning children under the age of 15 from using social media platforms and requiring technology companies to prevent them from creating or operating accounts through age-verification systems.
According to Reuters, the regulations, approved on Thursday, prohibit children under 15 from creating, using, or managing personal social media accounts.
They will also be barred from posting content, commenting, sharing material, or joining public groups.
UAE authorities said the measures are intended to protect children from inappropriate content, unsafe online interactions, excessive social media use, and the misuse of personal data.
Under the new rules, teenagers aged 15 and 16 will be permitted to use social media only if specific safeguards are in place, including age-appropriate content controls, restrictions on contact with strangers, screen-time management tools, and parental supervision.
The regulations apply to all social media platforms operating in the UAE and require companies to use advanced age-verification technologies, such as digital identity systems and artificial intelligence-based tools. Self-declared age information alone will no longer be accepted for verification.
Social media companies must also remove accounts belonging to children under 15, prevent attempts to circumvent age-verification systems, and refrain from using children’s personal data for targeted advertising or behavioral analysis.
The UAE government has given technology companies 12 months to comply with the new regulations.
The UAE is the first Arab country to set a minimum age requirement for social media use. The move comes as countries including Australia and several European nations consider or introduce similar restrictions amid growing concerns about the impact of social media on children’s mental health and safety.
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