Kuwait: Protecting Children from Social Media

As a positive step toward regulating the lifestyle of children and adolescents and protecting them from the pitfalls of social media, which negatively affect their minds, behavior, and personalities, the UAE has banned these platforms for this demographic. Undoubtedly, such a measure deserves to be implemented here, given the difficulty of controlling the content being broadcast and its promoters. Following an Al-Qabas investigation published recently, which reviewed the views of experts and specialists on the most prominent problems and their solutions, a key point emerges that should not be overlooked: today’s children are not like their predecessors, particularly in technical matters. Therefore, to curb manipulation and circumvention by either children or their parents—should the proposal be implemented—these websites should be linked to national ID cards and government identities to ensure the achievement of the desired objectives.

In the context of the UAE, we recall its role in resolving the legal contradiction regarding the age of majority, a discrepancy that persists in Kuwait. We previously raised this issue with relevant authorities in an Al-Qabas article titled “To the Ministry of Justice, with Greetings.” The problem lies in the divergence between civil majority, set at 21, and criminal majority, set at 18, as well as the marriageable age stipulated in the Personal Status Law, which is the same. This allows a minor to become a father and opens the door to limitations in civil transactions for a 20-year-old husband—the head of a young household—under civil law that restricts his actions without a guardian’s consent, along with other negative repercussions for youth and families. The role of regional states in highlighting and resolving this issue is crucial, which is precisely what we advocate for: harmonizing the age of majority locally and lowering it in Personal Status, Civil, and Penal laws.

Ali Hussein Al-Nasser