UAE Child Digital Safety Law
Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2025 on Child Digital Safety
UAE federal law establishing comprehensive child digital safety requirements for digital platforms and internet service providers, with extraterritorial reach to foreign platforms targeting UAE users. Requires age verification, privacy-by-default, content filtering, and proactive AI-powered content detection.
Jurisdiction
United Arab Emirates
Enacted
Oct 1, 2025
Effective
Jan 1, 2026
Enforcement
Child Digital Safety Council (chaired by Minister of Family); Education, Human Resources, and Community Development Council
Issued October 1, 2025; effective January 1, 2026; extraterritorial application to platforms targeting UAE users
UAE Federal Legislation (verify at uaelegislation.gov.ae)Why It Matters
Most comprehensive child digital safety law in Middle East with extraterritorial reach. Any service targeting UAE users (including AI companions with UAE child users) must implement child safety measures including age verification, content filtering, and proactive harmful content detection. Creates compliance obligation for global platforms.
Recent Developments
Most comprehensive child digital safety law in Middle East region. Issued October 1, 2025; effective January 1, 2026. Establishes Child Digital Safety Council for national coordination. Implementing regulations with specific penalties forthcoming.
At a Glance
Applies to
Harms addressed
Requires
Who Must Comply
- Digital platforms operating within UAE or targeting users in UAE
- Internet service providers
- Websites, search engines, apps, messaging apps, forums
- Online gaming platforms, social media, live streaming
- Podcast platforms, streaming services, e-commerce platforms
Obligations fall on:
Safety Provisions
- Robust age verification mechanisms commensurate with platform risk
- Verifiable parental consent required for under-13 data processing
- Privacy-by-default settings for children's accounts
- Prohibition on targeted advertising using children's data
- Content filtering, blocking, and age-rating tools required
- AI systems for proactive detection and removal of harmful content
- User-friendly reporting tools for harmful content
- Cooperation with law enforcement to prevent online harm to children
Compliance & Enforcement
Key Dates
Jan 1, 2026
Law takes effect
Jan 1, 2027
Full compliance deadline (1 year from effective date, subject to Cabinet extension)
Penalties
Penalties pending regulatory determination
View on map
United Arab Emirates
Focus Areas
Cite This
APA
United Arab Emirates. (2025). Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2025 on Child Digital Safety.
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Last updated January 22, 2026. Verify against primary sources before relying on this information.