Child Digital Safety: Abu Dhabi Forum Examines Decree-Law 26 Of 2025
Experts and officials at the "Child Digital Safety" Forum examined how Federal Decree-Law No. (26) of 2025 reshapes protection for children online, as the legislation enters into force and sets clearer obligations for digital platforms, families and authorities in the United Arab Emirates.
The forum explores how the new law reduces online risks for minors, promotes safer digital behaviour, and strengthens cooperation between families, internet service providers, digital platforms and judicial authorities, in line with the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department’s efforts to extend legal and judicial awareness across society.
Federal Decree-Law No. (26) of 2025 on Child Digital Safety defines new duties for those involved in providing digital services, including platform operators and telecom companies, and clarifies how regulators and courts classify platforms by risk level and respond to harmful content targeting children.
Forum sessions are structured around several main themes: a legislative axis on the law’s goals and scope, a technical and institutional axis on duties of providers, a social and family axis on caregivers’ roles, and a judicial and security axis on reporting channels and penalties for violations.
| Axis | Focus within Child Digital Safety |
|---|---|
| Legislative | Objectives of Federal Decree-Law No. (26) of 2025, scope, platform risk classification |
| Technical and Institutional | Obligations of digital platforms and internet service providers, age checks, data protection, parental controls |
| Social and Family | Responsibilities of child caregivers, negligence and related legal accountability |
| Judicial and Security | Reporting unlawful content, blocking methods, administrative penalties for offences |
The "Child Digital Safety" Forum is organised by the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department under the slogan "Towards a Safe and Sustainable Digital Environment for Future Generations" and is held remotely over two days through the Abu Dhabi Judicial Academy’s virtual platform with local and international participation.
Participants include lawyers and legal consultants, specialists from technology and telecommunications companies, representatives from governmental and regulatory bodies, professionals working in education and social care, child caregivers, and experts in child protection, joining discussions on how the new rules apply in practical digital environments.
Child Digital Safety discussions and expert presentations
The first day’s sessions, moderated by Counsellor Mansour Al Marzouqi, President of the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court, feature structured presentations and open discussions that examine both legal frameworks and technical tools required to apply the Child Digital Safety law in real-world cases.
Maryam bint Ahmed Al Hammadi, Minister of State and Secretary-General of the Cabinet, presents an analytical study of the aims and coverage of Federal Decree-Law No. (26) of 2025, the proposed governance model, and a vision for classifying platforms, supported by leading international benchmark comparisons in child-focused digital regulation.
In a presentation titled "Smart Child Protection: Parental Authority in the Digital Age", Dr. Ahmed Abdel Zaher, Legal Adviser at the Technical Office of the Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, highlights age verification methods, digital tools for parental control, and technological options that support families in supervising children’s use of devices and online services.
Judge Colleen O’Toole, former Appeal Court Judge and former Public Prosecutor in the United States of America, addresses "Human Rights in the Child’s Digital Environment", analysing the legal duties of parents, the limits of privacy in the online context, and the dangers linked to harmful or negative exposure faced by children on digital platforms in different jurisdictions.
Dr. Sami Ismail Al Tokhi, Director of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Academy, outlines "The Abu Dhabi Legislative Laboratory for Child Protection", explaining experimental legislative tools, digital safety assessment indicators, and approaches for enforcing the new Child Digital Safety law through cooperation between judicial bodies, governmental agencies and civil society institutions.
Discussions across the "Child Digital Safety" Forum show that Federal Decree-Law No. (26) of 2025 creates a more coherent system, combining legislative clarity, technological measures, family responsibility and judicial enforcement to support a safer and more sustainable digital environment for children across the United Arab Emirates.
With inputs from WAM
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