The decision to “regulate children’s use of social media platforms” is a qualitative leap to protect them

Parliamentarians and specialists confirmed that the Council of Ministers’ decision – regarding regulating children’s access to social media platforms, and setting the minimum age allowed for use at 15 years – represents an important step and a qualitative shift in strengthening the digital protection system for children, and reflects the keenness of the wise leadership to follow up on what concerns the family and childhood and respond to the demands of society, especially in light of the “Year of the Family” and the priority it carries to enhance the protection of emerging generations, noting that the decision comes in line with what was published by the “Emirates Today” newspaper, which monitored There has been widespread societal interaction and increasing demands for stricter controls on children’s use of these platforms, in light of the escalating security, psychological and social risks it has revealed.

On June 8, Emirates Today published a special report entitled “Community Demands to Ban Social Media Platforms for Children,” which witnessed widespread interaction from citizens and residents, and addressed the most prominent security, health, and psychological risks to which children are exposed via digital platforms, including cyberbullying, luring and blackmail, data theft, anxiety and depression, poor concentration and academic achievement, and exposure to content inappropriate for their ages.

The newspaper also conducted an opinion poll through its digital platforms that lasted for 24 hours, which witnessed wide participation and great interaction from members of society, in which 3,763 people participated, and its results showed that 79.1% of participants supported imposing a ban or restrictions on children’s use of social media platforms, while 16.7% saw the necessity of allowing accounts subject to parental supervision, compared to only 4.2% who refused to impose any restrictions, which reflects the extent of growing societal concern regarding the effects of unregulated use of these platforms on children. And emerging.

Member of the Federal National Council, Mona Rashid Tahnoun, appreciated the issuance of this decision, stressing that it represents an important step that enhances the protection of children from digital risks and inappropriate content, and contributes to building a safer electronic environment for the emerging generations.

She said that this trend is consistent with previous calls for the necessity of studying the establishment of controls and legislation that regulate children’s use of social media, based on societal responsibility to protect young people and enhance their values ​​and national identity. She expressed her happiness at seeing this national trend, which embodies the wise leadership’s keenness to achieve a balance between benefiting from modern technologies and protecting children from their negative effects.

She added: “All thanks and appreciation to the Council of Ministers for this qualitative decision that strengthens the child and family protection system, and confirms the UAE’s proactive approach in dealing with accelerating digital challenges.”

For her part, Member of the Federal National Council, Dr. Moza Mohammed Al Shehhi, praised the decision, stressing that it reflects an advanced national vision that places children’s safety and psychological and social well-being at the top of priorities, and keeps pace with international best practices in the field of digital protection.

She said that the decision strengthens the role of the family in guidance and supervision, and establishes a safer digital environment, which contributes to protecting children from the negative effects of early and uncontrolled use of social media platforms.

The founder and president of the “Women Support the Homeland” Association and member of the Board of Trustees of the National Human Rights Commission, Dr. Amina Al Majid, confirmed that the decision confirms the UAE’s leadership in anticipating digital challenges and protecting children, and reflects a balanced vision that combines keeping pace with technology and preserving the family and childhood.

She said: “We value the state’s constant keenness to keep pace with digital changes with thoughtful decisions that protect our children and establish a safer and more aware digital environment for future generations.”

She added that the decision is consistent with global trends aimed at protecting children and enhancing their digital safety, stressing that the real challenge does not lie in the technology itself, but rather in the uncontrolled use of it during the early stages of life, which requires clear regulatory frameworks that guarantee safe and responsible use.

In turn, lawyer Dr. Abdullah Al Nasser confirmed that the decision represents an advanced legislative step that strengthens the legal protection system for children in the digital environment, and places clear obligations and responsibilities on digital platforms with regard to age verification, data protection, and privacy.

He pointed out that the decision reflects a proactive approach that keeps pace with rapid technical developments, and establishes a more stringent legal framework that reduces the risks associated with children’s use of social media platforms, thus achieving a balance between the freedom to use technology and the requirements for protecting young age groups.

For his part, cybersecurity expert, Engineer Ahmed Al Zarouni, described the decision as a decisive strategic step in the field of digital governance, stressing that it establishes strict regulatory frameworks that oblige service providers to comply with precise security standards, and establishes a safer digital environment for children.

He explained that the decision prohibits the exploitation of children’s personal data for commercial purposes or tracking their digital activity, and also requires platforms to implement reliable age verification mechanisms and take immediate measures to monitor violating accounts and enhance compliance.

He added that the decision establishes the principle that guardian approval is not sufficient as an exception to age restrictions. It also requires providing a safe digital environment for the age group between 15 and 16 years, by classifying content, restricting usage and interaction times, and providing effective parental control tools, in addition to giving platforms a transitional period not exceeding 12 months to ensure technical and organizational readiness for the application.

The psychologist, Hessa Al-Rais, confirmed that the decision gains double importance in light of the “Year of the Family,” as it contributes to enhancing the psychological stability of children and protecting them from the negative effects of excessive use of social media platforms.

She said that psychological studies indicate a link between early and unregulated use of these platforms and high rates of anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and poor concentration in children and adolescents, noting that the decision gives families more space for follow-up and guidance, and helps establish more balanced and healthy patterns of use of modern technology.

• The decision represents a qualitative leap in strengthening the digital protection system for children, and reflects the keenness of the wise leadership to follow up on what concerns the family and childhood.