In a landmark legislative move reflecting the UAE’s commitment to safeguarding children’s rights in the digital age, Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2025 on Child Digital Safety was issued and entered into force on 1 January 2026. This comprehensive law establishes a robust legal framework aimed at protecting children from harmful content, digital exploitation, and privacy breaches, while aligning with international best practices.
Scope of the Law
Comprising 20 articles, the law applies to digital platforms and internet service providers (ISPs) operating in the UAE or directed at users within the country. This includes websites, search engines, applications, messaging platforms, online gaming websites, social media platforms, live streaming services, podcasts, video-on-demand services, and e-commerce platforms. The law defines a “child” as any person under 18 years of age.
Data Protection and Privacy Requirements
One of the law’s most significant provisions prohibits digital platforms from collecting, processing, publishing, or sharing personal data of children under 13 without explicit, documented parental consent. Platforms must provide a simple and always-available mechanism to withdraw consent, along with clear privacy policy disclosures directed at both the child and their caregiver. This provision places children’s data privacy at the forefront of the regulatory framework.
Age Verification and Parental Controls
Under the Decree-Law, digital platforms are required to adopt “effective and reasonable” age verification mechanisms. These include activating high-privacy settings by default for children’s accounts, providing age-appropriate content restriction tools, enabling content-blocking and filtering features, and implementing robust parental controls that allow caregivers to monitor and safeguard their children’s digital activity.
Prohibition on Commercial Gaming
Among the law’s notable provisions is the prohibition on children’s participation in online commercial gaming, defined as digital games offered primarily for revenue generation, including gambling and activities involving bets and wagers for monetary consideration. Platforms are expressly prohibited from allowing children to create accounts for or access such games.
Governance and Enforcement
The law establishes a Child Digital Safety Council, chaired by the Minister of Family, tasked with proposing relevant policies and legislation, launching national awareness initiatives, and monitoring emerging digital risks. In-scope entities have been granted a one-year grace period to achieve compliance, with full enforcement commencing in January 2027. Non-compliant platforms may face administrative penalties, including suspension or blocking of services.
Legal Recommendations
We advise all digital platforms and internet service providers operating in or targeting users in the UAE to proactively review their policies and procedures to ensure full compliance with the Decree-Law before the January 2027 deadline. Parents and caregivers should also familiarize themselves with their rights and their children’s rights under this law and make use of available parental control tools. For specialized legal advice, please contact Mohamed Al Azazi Advocates & Legal Consultants.