In June 2026 the UAE Cabinet issued Resolution No. 106 of 2026 under the Child Digital Safety Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2025, setting a minimum age for social media. Baker McKenzie dates the resolution to 17 June and Khaleej Times reported the announcement on 18 June. Platforms have a 12-month transition period, so the rules bite from around mid-2027.
The rules
- Children under 15 may not create or operate a personal social media account, and a parent's consent cannot override that.
- Accounts for 15 and 16 year olds are allowed with protections, including content filtering, limits on public sharing and on contact with strangers, usage controls and parental tools, according to law firm summaries. Baker McKenzie also lists restrictions on live streaming and algorithmic recommendations.
- Platforms must detect and suspend existing underage accounts, stop people getting round the rules, carry out child safety risk assessments and report to the authorities.
- Age checks can use a government digital identity, an official document with biometric matching, AI age estimation or licensed verification providers.
- The rules apply to any social media platform operating in, or aimed at users in, the UAE.
The advertising rule
For marketers, the key line is that platforms may not serve children targeted advertising based on tracking or behavioural profiling, or use their data for commercial purposes. Contextual advertising without profiling, and processing for child safety, remain allowed, according to Baker McKenzie and Kisser Legal.
Who enforces it
The National Media Authority handles media and content, and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority handles technical requirements, both reporting to the Child Digital Safety Council. Penalties for platforms escalate from warnings to partial or full blocking. Khaleej Times reported that using a VPN to get round the rules may also attract penalties.
What it means for brands
- Under-15s will disappear from social audiences. Brands that reach children through social, such as toys, games, snacks and education, need other channels: parents, schools, events, retail and contextual placements.
- Teen targeting changes. With 15 and 16 year olds protected and profiling-based ads to children banned, audience settings that include young teens should be reviewed now, not in 2027.
- Family and child creators face questions. The law bars children from operating their own accounts. How it treats accounts run by parents that feature children is not clear from the summaries we read, so take legal advice before booking.
- Age gates will spread. Expect more platforms to ask users to verify their age, which may change audience sizes and reach estimates in the UAE.
- Contextual is the safe route. Ads placed next to relevant content, without profiling, stay allowed.
What to do this quarter
- List every client campaign that reaches, or could reach, under-16s, and check the targeting.
- Move youth-focused budgets towards parents and contextual placements before platforms start enforcing.
- Add a clause to creator contracts confirming the creator meets the age rules and that any child featured has proper consent.
- Watch for platform announcements on age verification in the UAE over the coming months.
The influencer disclosure checker on this site helps keep paid content clearly labelled, which matters more as regulators look harder at what young audiences see.
