Parents and caregivers in the UAE now carry a legal duty to supervise and manage their children’s digital lives under the country’s new Child Digital Safety (CDS) Law. The legislation transforms online safety from a matter of guidance into a binding legal responsibility, placing clear obligations on parents, digital platforms, and service providers.
The law introduces stricter controls over harmful content, excessive screen use, and the collection and use of children’s personal data. It applies not only to UAE-based companies but also to global platforms that target children in the country, even if they have no physical presence locally.
Social media networks, gaming services, apps, and websites used by children in the UAE must now comply with requirements including age verification, content filtering, parental controls, and limits on advertising aimed at minors.
For the first time, parental responsibility is codified in law. Caregivers are required to actively monitor children’s digital activities, use parental control tools, prevent access to age-inappropriate platforms, and avoid exposing children online in ways that threaten privacy, dignity, or wellbeing. They must also report harmful or pornographic content to authorities.
The CDS Law also strengthens parental authority over children’s data. For users under 13, platforms cannot collect or use personal information without explicit, verifiable parental consent. Parents must be able to withdraw consent easily, and platforms are barred from using such data for commercial purposes or targeted advertising.
Children under 18 are prohibited from participating in online commercial games, including gambling and betting platforms. Service providers must implement safeguards to block access, creating a statutory barrier against high-risk digital environments.
The law responds to growing concerns over the scale of data held on children and the spread of inappropriate and AI-generated content. While platforms are required to introduce technical protections, the legislation reinforces that parental oversight remains essential.
UAE Cybersecurity Council data shows that 72 percent of children aged eight to 12 use smartphones daily, yet only 43 percent of parents regularly monitor online activity. Experts warn that digital threats increasingly exploit behavior rather than technical weaknesses, with AI enabling scams to become more personalized and persuasive.
Children often share personal data gradually—names, photos, voice notes, school details, location information, and reused login credentials—while also generating behavioral data through gaming, browsing, and social interactions.
With 2026 designated as the UAE’s Year of the Family, the CDS Law positions child digital safety as a national priority, requiring coordinated action across households, platforms, and regulators to ensure long-term protection.
