{"id":106588,"date":"2026-07-30T08:46:44","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T04:46:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/?p=106588"},"modified":"2026-07-30T08:46:45","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T04:46:45","slug":"new-social-media-law-reinforces-child-digital-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/new-social-media-law-reinforces-child-digital-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"New Social Media Law Reinforces Child Digital Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Child digital safety has taken a significant step forward in the UAE, with experts from the National Experts Programme (NEP)<\/a> saying the country’s new social media legislation reinforces its leadership in protecting children online while keeping pace with the rapidly evolving digital landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UAE Cabinet recently issued Resolution No. 106 of 2026, titled “Regulating Children’s Access to Social Media Platforms.” Issued in June and communicated in July, the resolution establishes 15 as the minimum age for using social media platforms across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the legislation, children below 15 are prohibited from creating, using, or operating personal social media accounts. They are also barred from accessing the full features of social media platforms, including publishing content, commenting, sharing posts, joining public groups, open channels, social interaction, and participating in large-scale interactive spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The legislation also introduces a second level of protection for children aged 15 to under 16. While they are permitted to access social media platforms, they must be protected through enhanced measures, including content filtering, parental controls, restrictions on interacting with unknown users, and screen time limits. According to NEP experts, these measures further strengthen the country’s commitment to child digital safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asma Al Azri, NEP Expert representing the Community Development and Social Services sector, Faisal Al Hawi, NEP Fellow representing the Technology and Innovation sector, and Sumaya Al Hajeri, NEP Fellow representing Public Policy and Governance, said the legislation will have the greatest impact when supported by families, educational institutions, digital platforms, and the country’s legislative framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experts noted that the rapid growth of social media, online gaming, and generative AI has introduced increasingly complex digital risks for children. They said the UAE continues to position itself as a global leader by adopting legislation that enables young people to benefit from technology while protecting them from online harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commenting on the legislation, Al Azri said protecting children in the digital world is a shared responsibility that extends beyond government regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Social media platforms were not designed for young children, and age restrictions exist for a reason. We encourage parents not to create or permit social media accounts for children below the minimum age, as early exposure to online risks can have lasting consequences for their safety, wellbeing, and healthy development,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al Azri added that the legislation strengthens the UAE’s position among the world’s leading countries in establishing a comprehensive legal framework for protecting children online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It reflects a proactive approach that keeps pace with rapid technological change while placing children’s wellbeing at the heart of digital policy. This policy is expected to help protect children from online risks and promote the safe and responsible use of technology,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also highlighted research linking excessive screen time among children under 15 to behavioral and developmental challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“These findings should serve as a call to action. As we build an increasingly digital society, we must ensure innovation never comes at the expense of protecting children. Respecting the minimum age requirements for social media platforms is fundamental to creating a safer and healthier digital environment.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al Hawi said the legislation demonstrates the UAE’s forward-looking approach to addressing future digital challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This legislation goes beyond regulating children’s use of social media. It establishes age-appropriate safeguards that help protect children from harmful or unsuitable online content while encouraging healthier digital habits from an early age,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al Hawi, who developed a national school and home-based program to reduce passive screen time among children aged six to 10, described passive screen time as one of the defining challenges of today’s digital world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said encouraging balanced screen use alongside sports, educational, cultural, and social activities is essential for supporting children’s mental wellbeing, healthy development, and social interaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Al Hajeri said effective digital child protection requires more than technology alone. She emphasized that governance, legislation, accountability, and shared responsibility are equally important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al Hajeri, who led the national digital literacy initiative “Digital Heroes,” said the legislation reflects proactive policymaking that keeps pace with digital transformation while placing human wellbeing at the center of innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She compared children’s use of social media to “exploring Mars and swimming with sharks,” describing it as exciting yet filled with hidden dangers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Al Hajeri, the UAE’s comprehensive approach creates a safer digital environment where children can benefit from technology while remaining protected from emerging online risks. She said the new legislation reinforces the country’s leadership in child digital safety<\/a>, ensuring future generations can engage with technology safely and responsibly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Child digital safety has taken a significant step forward in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":106589,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9617],"tags":[10571],"contributor":[9732],"class_list":["post-106588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","tag-uae-child-safety","contributor-news-desk"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/NEP-Experts.jpg.jpeg","author_info":{"display_name":"Rabab","author_link":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/author\/rabab\/"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106588","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106588"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106588\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":106590,"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106588\/revisions\/106590"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/106589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106588"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=106588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}