What changed in 2026
On 18 June 2026 the UAE Cabinet issued a resolution regulating children's access to social media, published as Cabinet Resolution No. 106 of 2026. It applies to platforms available in or directed at the UAE; in the current phase, the Ministry of Family lists X, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.
- Under 15: no personal accounts, and no posting, commenting, sharing or joining public groups.
- 15 to under 16: accounts allowed with enhanced protections: no contact with strangers, limits on usage time, restricted high-risk features such as live streaming and unrestricted messaging, parental tools.
- Parental consent is not an exemption. A parent can configure a 15–16-year-old's settings, not unlock what the rules forbid.
- No personalised ads to children based on tracking or profiling.
- Self-declared age isn't enough; platforms must verify age.
- Platforms have up to 12 months to comply. The National Media Authority and TDRA supervise, with powers up to partial or full blocking.
This sits on top of Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2025 on Child Digital Safety and the data rules: children's data under 13 may be collected only with clear guardian consent and may not be used for targeted advertising or commercial purposes.
Teen advertisers: the NMA permit rules
The NMA's Advertiser Permit guide treats minors separately:
- the general minimum age for an Advertiser Permit is 18, but applicants aged 15 to 18 can qualify under additional conditions;
- they must be medically fit for the activity;
- the permit must be for commercial purposes and the ad age-appropriate;
- they may not promote products or services harmful to children;
- minors operate under a guardian's licence, and the guardian must oversee compliance with Wadeema's Law (Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 on Child Rights);
- under-18s producing educational, sports, cultural or awareness content without advertising are exempt from the permit.
Decision table for brands
| You want to… | Allowed? | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Pay a 13-year-old creator to post about your product | No | Under-15s can't hold accounts at all |
| Pay a 16-year-old creator | Possibly | NMA permit (15–18 conditions), guardian's licence, age-appropriate product, ad label |
| Feature a child model in your own Instagram ad | Yes | Guardian's written consent; content respecting children's rights and age rating |
| Work with a "family channel" run by a parent | Yes, via the parent | Parent's Advertiser Permit; children shown with dignity, no exploitation |
| Target ads at teens 13–16 | Avoid | Platforms barred from personalised ads to children; target parents instead |
| Run a kids' giveaway | Carefully | Entrants via parents (18+); DET permit in Dubai; see our giveaway guide |
| Promote energy drinks or apps with paid loot boxes with a teen creator | Risky | Minor advertisers may not promote products harmful to children; the regulator decides what counts |
Fines that apply
From Cabinet Resolution 42/2025: disrespecting children's rights costs AED 5,000 to 50,000; ignoring age ratings costs the same range; advertising on social media without a permit costs a warning, then AED 20,000, then AED 50,000. A privacy breach involving a child sits in the AED 20,000 to 100,000 band. Our full fines table has every row.
Shoot checklist when children are on set
- Written consent from a parent or legal guardian, naming channels and duration.
- Guardian present for the whole shoot.
- No full names, schools, uniforms with logos or home locations in the content.
- Scenes that respect the child's dignity: no pranks, crying for views, or embarrassment.
- Short sessions with breaks, especially outdoors in summer; see our heat safety guide.
- Background children (playgrounds, malls) out of frame or blurred; see photographing people.
What nobody tells you
- "The account is mine, my kid is just in it" is the safe structure. The age rules restrict children's accounts, not their appearance in an adult's or brand's content. But the content standards on children's rights still apply to how they're shown.
- The 12-month window is for platforms, not for you. Brands shouldn't sign new deals with under-15 account holders in the meantime.
- Family content is also a privacy question. Showing a child's daily routine, school or location can breach privacy rules even with parental consent.
- Age-appropriate is judged on the product too. A teen creator promoting a skincare acid peel or a gaming app with loot boxes can fail the "not harmful to children" test even if the video is wholesome.
Vladimir Chernyshev, GM: for family brands the sustainable model now is simple: the parent is the creator and the customer, the kids appear occasionally and safely, and the ads talk to adults.
Related: UAE Advertiser Permit, UAE media content standards.
