EU plans social media ban for under-13s as UAE sets minimum age at 15

Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

The European Union is moving towards tighter age restrictions on social media, with plans to prevent children under 13 from using the platforms.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the proposal during her State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday (September 16), outlining different levels of protection based on age.

Under the proposed EU Kids Act, children under 13 would not be allowed to use social media. Those aged 13 to under 15 would be limited to supervised “mini accounts” with restricted features and one hour of daily use, while platforms would have to apply safe-by-design measures for users aged 15 to 18.

The European Commission formally adopted the EU Kids Act proposal on Thursday (September 17). The proposal still needs to go through the EU legislative process before it can become law.

The EU move comes as the UAE is already implementing its own age-based restrictions on children’s access to social media.

Under Cabinet Resolution No. 106 of 2026, announced in June, children under 15 are prohibited from creating, using or operating personal social media accounts.

The UAE rules do not allow parental consent to override the under-15 restriction. Platforms are also required to introduce age-verification and child-safety measures to prevent underage users from accessing restricted services.

However, the rules are being phased in. Social media companies and other platform operators were given a 12-month period to comply with the resolution, starting from its announcement in June 2026. This gives companies until June 2027 to make the required changes to their systems and services.

For users aged 15 and above, the UAE framework provides additional safeguards, including age-appropriate content controls and measures designed to limit exposure to potentially harmful interactions and features. ICA/Expat Media

For all the latest news from the UAE and the world, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube page