The United Arab Emirates has become the first Arab country to ban social media for children under the age of 15. The government on Thursday approved a resolution setting a minimum age for social media.
The order prohibits children under 15 from creating or using personal social media accounts and restricts their access to the platforms' full features.
The UAE follows a host of other nations planning similar laws regulating access to social media for children, including the UK, Australia and Malaysia.
The move comes amid growing global concerns about the impact of social media on children's mental health, online safety and screen time. Governments around the world have increasingly sought to impose age-based restrictions on social media platforms, arguing that children are vulnerable to harmful content, cyberbullying and addictive online behaviour.
Among the countries pursuing stricter regulations is the United Kingdom, where Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently announced plans to ban children under the age of 16 from using several major social media platforms, including Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. The proposed restrictions, expected to take effect early next year, would make Britain part of a broader international effort to strengthen online protections for minors.
"Every parent can see it with their own eyes. Social media is making children unhappy," Starmer said while announcing the measures. He said he had heard directly from families seeking stronger protections for children online and pledged government action.
{{/usCountry}}"Every parent can see it with their own eyes. Social media is making children unhappy," Starmer said while announcing the measures. He said he had heard directly from families seeking stronger protections for children online and pledged government action.
{{/usCountry}}The UK plans to follow a model similar to that adopted by Australia, which last year became the first country to bar under-16s from holding social media accounts. Under Australia's law, platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to prevent underage users from accessing their services could face multimillion-dollar fines. Britain's proposed ban would apply to platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, although YouTube Kids and messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal would be exempt.