The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced a nationwide ban on social media use for children under the age of 15, joining a growing list of countries introducing stricter rules on youth access to digital platforms.
Under a new cabinet resolution, social media companies are required to identify and deactivate accounts belonging to users under 15 years old or face sanctions, including possible restrictions and penalties. The government has also granted a 12-month transition period for full compliance.
The resolution, as quoted by the state-run WAM news agency, establishes 15 years as the minimum age for social media use in the country. It further states that children below this age are prohibited from creating, using, or operating personal accounts on social media platforms.
It also restricts access to platform features for underage users, including social interaction, publishing, commenting, sharing content, joining public groups, open channels, and other large-scale interactive spaces.
The move aligns with similar policies in countries such as Australia, Britain, and Canada. Australia introduced a ban on social media use for children under 16 in December, while Britain has also announced comparable regulatory measures.
According to the resolution, UAE media and telecommunications regulators are empowered to enforce compliance and take necessary action against platforms. Possible penalties include warnings, partial or full blocking of platforms, and the imposition of administrative sanctions in cases of non-compliance.
Elijah Adeyemi
No comments:
Post a Comment