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The UAE has issued a federal decree-law on child digital safety, establishing a comprehensive legislative framework to protect minors from online risks and promote responsible use of age-appropriate digital content.
The decree-law applies to internet service providers and digital platforms operating within or targeting users in the UAE, covering websites, search engines, smart applications, messaging services, forums, online gaming, social media, live streaming, podcasts, video-on-demand, and e-commerce platforms, the state news agency, WAM reported
UAE declares 2026 as the Year of Family
The legislation, which aligns with the UAE’s declaration of 2026 as the Year of Family, aims to protect children from harmful digital content and practices that negatively affect their physical, psychological, and moral wellbeing.
It also applies to those responsible for child care, defining their obligations regarding digital safety.
The legislation establishes a comprehensive governance framework that defines the roles and functions of relevant authorities and ensures coordination and integration among them to protect children and their rights in the digital ecosystem.
New Child Digital Safety Council to be set up
A new Child Digital Safety Council will be established, chaired by the Minister of Family, to serve as an advisory and coordinating body, achieving integration between federal and local entities and the private sector.
The council’s functions include proposing policies, legislation, and strategies to ensure the highest levels of digital safety for children, proposing comprehensive awareness campaigns, and conducting studies to monitor emerging digital risks amid rapid technological advancements.
The decree-law, issued by cabinet decision following approval from the Education, Human Development, and Community Development Council, establishes a system for categorising all digital platforms based on an assessment of their risks 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 impact on children, while defining controls and restrictions related to platform use by different age groups.
Digital platforms are prohibited from collecting, processing, publishing, or sharing personal data of children under 13, except under specific conditions.
Platforms used for educational or health purposes may be exempted by Cabinet resolution, provided necessary measures protect child safety and privacy.
New decree-law outlines obligations for digital platforms
The decree-law outlines obligations for digital platforms, including establishing default privacy settings, providing age verification mechanisms, offering tools to enforce age restrictions, activating blocking, filtering, and age-rating tools for content, and regulating targeted online advertising.
Digital platforms are prohibited from allowing children to take part in, create accounts for, or access online commercial games involving gambling or digital activities that involve betting with money.
Internet service providers must activate content filtering systems on their networks to enhance compliance with policies prohibiting harmful content for children, and take necessary measures to ensure safe and supervised internet use by children.
This includes requiring guardians to sign terms of service that mandate the integration of parental control tools.
The decree-law outlines obligations for child caregivers, including monitoring children’s digital activities, using parental control tools to ensure safe use and protection from harmful content, and refraining from creating accounts for children on digital platforms that are not age-appropriate or do not comply with enhanced child protection standards.
The Ministry of Family and relevant local authorities responsible for child affairs, each within its jurisdiction, are tasked with developing necessary programmes and mechanisms to ensure caregivers fulfil the obligations stipulated in the decree-law and its implementing regulations.
The legislation also regulates the mechanism for reporting harmful content to children, ensuring swift action in cases of online abuse or exploitation of children.
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