Overview
- The UAE cabinet approved the measure on Thursday, prohibiting anyone under 15 from creating or using social‑media accounts and limiting interactive features for younger users.
- The resolution requires platforms to implement effective age‑verification systems, including biometric or AI tools, within a 12‑month transition period and mandates periodic audits of those systems.
- France is moving in a similar direction, with the education minister saying a tougher school cellphone ban could start on 1 September and a proposal to bar under‑15s from social media already cleared a first parliamentary reading.
- The UK announced plans in mid‑June to set 16 as the minimum age for access to major social networks and to target the same key platforms that Australia restricted, though the policy still needs parliamentary approval and implementation work.
- Policymakers cite child mental‑health and safety concerns but face hard choices on privacy, verification accuracy and cross‑border enforcement, and tech, legal and parental‑consent solutions remain under debate.