The UAE government on Friday issued a federal decree law to protect children from online risk and encourage responsible use of safe and age-appropriate digital content.
With 2026 set to be the Year of the Family, the move is part of the country’s vision to safeguard and enhance the quality of life for children.
The new legislation aims to protect them from harmful digital content and practices that negatively affect their physical, psychological or moral well-being. It also establishes a framework that defines the roles and functions of the relevant authorities.
The decree law applies to internet service providers and digital platforms, whether operating within the UAE or targeting users in the Emirates.
Digital platforms covered by the decree law include websites, search engines, smart and messaging apps, forums, online gaming, social media, live streaming, podcasts, online video-on-demand and e-commerce.
The law also applies to those responsible for the care of children and defines obligations regarding digital safety.
New authority
The decree law establishes a national Child Digital Safety Council, to be governed by the Minister of Family.
It will propose policy, legislation and strategies to ensure the highest levels of digital safety for children.
The legislation also establishes a system for categorising all digital platforms, based on an assessment of risk and impact on children.
This system serves as the reference framework, outlining regulatory standards for classifying platforms according to their type, content, usage volume and effect on children.
It also defines the controls and restrictions related to the use of these platforms by different age groups.
The decree law bans digital platforms from collecting, processing, publishing, or sharing the personal data of children under 13, except under specific conditions.
Platforms used for educational or health purposes are exempt.
What do digital platforms have to do?
The decree law outlines a set of obligations for digital platforms to ensure the protection of children from harmful content.
These include establishing and implementing default privacy settings, providing age verification mechanisms, offering tools to enforce age restrictions on the use of digital platforms, activating blocking, filtering and age-rating tools for content, and regulating targeted online advertising.
The new legislation prohibits digital platforms from allowing children to take part in, create accounts for, or access online commercial games involving gambling, or digital activities that involve betting.
Internet service providers must activate filtering systems on their networks to enhance compliance with policies prohibiting harmful content for children, and take the necessary measures to ensure safe and supervised use of internet services or electronic devices by children. This includes requiring the child's guardian to sign the terms of service, including those that mandate the integration of parental control tools.
The decree law also outlines a set of obligations for child caregivers, most importantly: monitoring the child's digital activities; using parental control tools to ensure safe use and protection from harmful content; and refraining from creating accounts for children in their care on digital platforms that are not age-appropriate, or do not comply with enhanced child protection standards.
The new legislation also regulates the mechanism for reporting harmful content to children, ensuring swift action in cases of online abuse or exploitation.
