UAE gives platforms 12 months to enforce under-15 social media ban

WAM said the UAE Cabinet gave social media platforms up to 12 months to enforce a new minimum age of 15.

For DHA, DOH and MOHAP providers, the practical issue is patient flow: child-facing clinics need cleaner intake questions on screen time, sleep, anxiety and cyberbullying before families start seeking documentation and referrals.

What changed

The Cabinet resolution, issued on 18 June 2026 and chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, bars children under 15 from creating, using or operating personal social media accounts in the UAE, according to WAM.

Children aged 15 to 16 may use platforms only with added controls. WAM listed age-appropriate content classification, restricted interaction with unknown users, usage-time controls and parental tools. Parental consent does not override the ban for children under 15.

The compliance duties sit mainly with platforms. WAM said self-declared age is not accepted, and platforms must use approved age-verification methods, monitor under-age accounts, suspend violating accounts and report to the competent authorities.

• Under 15: no personal accounts or full social media features.
• 15 to 16: access only with added controls and parental tools.
• 12 months: maximum transition period for platform compliance.
• 2 regulators: the National Media Authority and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority oversee platform compliance.

Why clinics should care

Gulf News reported on 19 June 2026 that UAE doctors linked early social media exposure to sleep disruption, anxiety, cyberbullying, posture-related pain, reduced attention and behaviour changes already seen in clinics.

Mark Samways, Director of Wellbeing at Alkalma Health, told Gulf News that platform design uses reward loops that children are less able to resist than adults.

“These platforms have been designed intentionally to be addictive.”
Mark Samways, Director of Wellbeing, Alkalma Health

Dr. Kirin Hilliar, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Heriot-Watt University Dubai and psychologist at OpenMinds Psychiatry, Counselling and Neuroscience Centre, told Gulf News that parents may need to rebuild offline routines for children used to instant digital feedback.

The scale is large enough for capacity planning. DataReportal, citing Kepios, counted 12.5 million active social media user identities in the UAE in October 2025, equal to 110% of the national population estimate. DataReportal warned that user identities may not equal unique people.

What operators should do

DHA-licensed providers in Dubai should use Q3 2026 to update paediatric and family medicine intake forms with structured questions on screen time, platform access, cyberbullying exposure, sleep, appetite, school attendance and self-harm risk.

DOH-regulated facilities in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain should review referral pathways for patients aged 10 to 16 who present with anxiety, sleep disturbance, school refusal or family conflict tied to device access.

MOHAP-regulated providers in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah should make the same review where family medicine is the first contact point. CIOs should add EMR fields by 2026 for screen time, account status, parental controls and cyberbullying exposure so COOs can track demand for child psychology capacity.

The number to remember is 12 months. If platforms remove under-15 accounts during the transition period, clinics may see fewer long-exposure cases later, but near-term demand is likely to come from parental consultations, school referrals and requests for clinical documentation.