UAE child digital safety rules, made simple

The federal Child Digital Safety Law and the social media rule apply to every family in the UAE. Abu Dhabi private and charter schools also follow the ADEK School Digital Policy, and Dubai private schools are inspected by KHDA. In other emirates, your education regulator or the Ministry of Education may also have its own requirements for schools.

ADEK doesn't name a product. If you allow BYOD, you must define and apply safety precautions for those devices, such as minimum device specifications and antivirus. Filtering and monitoring is required on school devices and systems, and student VPNs must be restricted on school premises and networks. In our experience, showing that students stay safe on devices the school doesn't manage is hard, which is why many schools choose managed devices.

ADEK Digital Policy §4.1.2(a), §4.2.2(b), §5.1

Schools must set rules for using personal devices on the school network and premises. Under ADEK's Student Behavior Policy, taking out or using a mobile phone at school without permission is a Level Two offence. A school can confiscate a phone only after a decision by its Behavioral Management Committee.

ADEK Digital Policy §4.1 · ADEK Student Behavior Policy v1.3, §4.2.2(a)(6), §4.5.1(g), §4.5.2(e)

KHDA inspections return in 2026-27 under the UAE School Inspection Framework, with no more than 24 hours' notice. Full inspections give an overall rating; monitoring visits don't. Student wellbeing is one of the areas inspectors look at, alongside teaching and learning. KHDA's Wellbeing Matters framework describes what good provision looks like.

KHDA announcements, 16 May 2025 and 2026

For Abu Dhabi schools, failing to comply with ADEK's Digital Policy can lead to legal accountability and penalties under ADEK's regulations. Under federal law, authorities can already close or block non-compliant platforms. A detailed schedule of fines is still to be issued by the Cabinet. The approach to families focuses on support. We'll update this page when the schedule is published.

ADEK Digital Policy §9.2 · Decree-Law 26/2025, Art. 16 · CR 106/2026, Art. 7

Monitor their child's online activity and use parental controls, in a way that suits the child's age. Don't set up accounts on platforms that aren't right for the child's age. Don't post or exploit children online. Protect the child's privacy and data. Teach safe use of devices. Report harmful content or child sexual abuse material to the authorities straight away.

Decree-Law 26/2025, Art. 13(a)–(f)

No. Children under 15 can't create or use personal social media accounts, even with a parent's consent. Fifteen-year-olds can, but their accounts must have restricted settings and parental tools. Platforms have until mid-2027 to comply.

Cabinet Resolution 106/2026, Art. 3(1), 3(3)–(5), Art. 8 (12 months from 30 Jun 2026)

Book a 30-minute call with our UAE team. We'll look at how your devices, wellbeing tracking and family support are set up today, and share what's working for other UAE schools.

No. The UAE School Inspection Framework is the long-standing standard inspectors use to rate schools. It already expects schools to protect students from abuse “via the internet and social media” and to make cyber safety a priority. This hub covers the newer laws and policies that spell out what protecting children online means in the UAE today: the federal Child Digital Safety Law, the under-15 social media rule, ADEK’s School Digital Policy and KHDA’s Wellbeing Matters framework. The inspection framework sets the expectation, and these newer rules add more detail.

UAE School Inspection Framework, 5.1.1 · Decree-Law 26/2025 · CR 106/2026 · ADEK Digital Policy v1.1 · Wellbeing Matters (Dec 2022)