Young content creators under the age of 15 will not be forced to abandon their creative work under the UAE’s new Cabinet Resolution on children’s social media access, officials clarified on Wednesday, provided their accounts are fully owned and managed by a parent or guardian.
The clarification came during a media briefing on the resolution, which sets 15 as the strict minimum age for children to create or operate personal social media accounts.
While the law is absolute on that point, officials were careful to draw a clear distinction between a child owning an account and a child appearing in content published through a parent’s account.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
A young content creator asked whether the new law meant he would have to stop making content altogether, expressing concern that everything he had built would be lost. The response from officials was immediate and reassuring.
“We absolutely want him to continue but in the way we believe is most appropriate for his age,” an official said. “The resolution does not say he is forbidden from creating content. It does not say he cannot share his ideas and creativity with the world.”
Parent’s account, parent’s control
What the law does prohibit is a child under 15 owning, managing, or operating a personal social media account in their own name. However, a parent or guardian may film the child, produce the content, and publish it through the parent’s own account. As long as the content is positive and beneficial, there is no restriction on the child’s creative participation.
“They can film him and publish it; there is no issue, as long as the content he presents is useful and positive,” the official said. “But not through his own account. The child needs the help and support of their parents when it comes to content.”
What this means for families
For families with children who have already built significant followings online, the message from officials is clear: the work does not have to stop, but the structure must change.
The account must be in the parent’s name, the parent must be in control of what is published, and the child cannot independently access, manage, or interact through the platform.
Officials also addressed the question of existing underage accounts with large followings. After the 12-month transition period granted to platforms for compliance, accounts operated by users under 15 must be deactivated or transferred.
Whether a platform allows an account to be formally converted to an adult account depends on that platform’s own internal procedures. But the legal position is unambiguous: the child’s direct access must end.
Notably, parental consent alone does not exempt a child from the ban. Even if a parent approves their child’s use of a platform, the resolution overrides that consent.
The only permissible route for children under 15 to remain part of the content creation space is through a parent-managed account.
A law that protects, not prohibits
Officials were emphatic that the resolution is not designed to shut down young talent or penalise families who have invested in their children’s creative development.
The broader message, repeated throughout the briefing, is that the UAE wants children to benefit from technology and digital platforms but within a framework that protects them from the risks that come with unsupervised access.
“The resolution does not aim to restrict the use of technology or limit children’s opportunities to benefit from it,” Eng. Majid Sultan Al-Masmar, Director General of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), said.
“Rather, it regulates access based on educational and regulatory foundations that consider the needs of each age group.”
Source: Khaleej Times