The UAE government has issued a new Federal Decree-Law on Child Digital Safety, establishing a comprehensive legislative framework to protect children from online
risks and promote the responsible use of safe, age-appropriate digital content.
The move aligns with the UAE’s declaration of 2026 as the Year of Family and reflects the country’s broader vision to safeguard children’s well-being and quality of life across physical and digital environments.
The decree-law aims to shield children from harmful digital content and practices that may affect their physical, psychological, and moral development. It also introduces a unified governance framework that clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of relevant authorities, ensuring coordination among federal, local, and private sector entities to protect children’s rights within the digital ecosystem.
The legislation applies to internet service providers and digital platforms operating in the UAE or targeting users in the country. Covered platforms include websites, search engines, smart and messaging applications, forums, online gaming platforms, social media networks, live-streaming and podcast platforms, streaming and video-on-demand services, and e-commerce platforms. It also places obligations on child caregivers, outlining their responsibilities in ensuring the digital safety of children under their care.
As part of the new framework, the decree-law establishes the Child Digital Safety Council, chaired by the Minister of Family. The council will serve as an advisory and coordinating body to enhance collaboration between federal and local authorities and the private sector. Its responsibilities include proposing policies, legislation, and strategies to improve child digital safety, launching nationwide awareness campaigns, and conducting studies to monitor emerging digital risks amid rapid technological change.
Issued following a UAE Cabinet decision and approval by the Education, Human Development, and Community Development Council, the decree-law introduces a system for classifying digital platforms based on their level of risk and impact on children. The classification framework considers platform type, content, usage volume, and potential impact, while setting age-based controls and restrictions on platform use.
The law prohibits digital platforms from collecting, processing, publishing, or sharing the personal data of children under the age of 13, except under specific conditions. Platforms used for educational or health purposes may be exempted by Cabinet resolution, provided that robust safeguards are in place to protect children’s privacy and safety.
Digital platforms are also required to implement a range of protective measures, including default privacy settings, age-verification mechanisms, tools to enforce age restrictions, content blocking and filtering systems, age-rating features, and regulations on targeted online advertising. The decree-law further bans children from participating in or accessing online commercial games involving gambling or monetary betting.
Internet service providers are obligated to activate content-filtering systems on their networks and take measures to ensure the safe and supervised use of internet services and electronic devices by children. These measures include requiring guardians to sign terms of service that mandate the use of parental control tools.
In addition, the decree-law outlines responsibilities for caregivers, such as monitoring children’s digital activities, using parental control tools, and refraining from creating accounts for children on platforms that are not age-appropriate or fail to meet enhanced child protection standards.
The Ministry of Family, along with relevant local child-affairs authorities, is tasked with developing programs and mechanisms to support caregivers in meeting these obligations. The legislation also regulates procedures for reporting harmful content, ensuring swift intervention in cases of online abuse or exploitation of children. Photo by Abdulmomn Kadhim, Wikimedia commons.
