The UAE approves a ban on social media use for those under 15 years old.

On June 18th, the United Arab Emirates approved a new regulation setting the minimum age for social media use at 15 years old - children under 15 will be prohibited from using, registering, or operating personal social media accounts and will have restricted access to all functions on these platforms. The UAE has become the first Arab country to implement such restrictions. The UAE government's media office stated that this means children under 15 will not be able to post content, make comments, share information, or join public groups. This regulation applies to all social media platforms operating in the UAE, and requires companies to implement strict age verification measures, including digital identity verification and artificial intelligence technology support. Self-reporting age will not be considered a valid verification method. Platforms must also block accounts created by children under 15 to prevent users from bypassing the age verification system, and to prohibit the use of children's personal data for targeted advertising or behavioral analysis.