The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the first Arab country to fully ban social media use by children under the age of 15.
The UAE cabinet adopted a resolution setting the minimum age for social media use at 15, according to the WAM news agency and other sources Tuesday. The cabinet resolution stated that "children under the age of 15 are prohibited from creating, using or operating personal accounts on social media platforms."
The resolution also includes provisions restricting children from accessing key platform features such as social interaction, posting, commenting, sharing content, and joining public groups and open channels.
Teenagers aged 15 to 16 are allowed to use social media, but protective measures such as content restrictions and usage time limits apply. The resolution also assigns parents and guardians responsibility for preventing children's social media use or attempts to bypass age verification, and stipulates that parental consent is not recognized as a legitimate exception.
WAM reported that authorities "have the power to take all necessary measures (against platforms)" in cases of non-compliance, adding that "sanctions include warnings, partial or full blocking of the platform, and the imposition of administrative penalties."
The UAE's restriction on minors' social media use is the first such case in the Arab world. Western countries including Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada have previously introduced similar systems.
