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Egypt’s National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) will roll out within a month a new service allowing parents to activate dedicated mobile lines for children that tighten blocks on pornographic websites and violent content, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Hossam Abdel-Mawla, representing the NTRA, told a meeting of the Communications and Information Technology Committee at the House of Representatives, chaired by MP Ahmed Badawi, that the child-specific SIM cards will enable content control through activation codes.

The service will prevent access to adult websites, violent material, and certain tools used to bypass restrictions such as VPN applications. It will also include regulatory controls related to electronic games.

Abdel-Mawla said internet regulation and child protection are not new issues, noting that it took nearly two decades for the world to fully recognize the wide-ranging negative impacts of the digital space.

He added that over the past ten years, several countries have begun taking more serious steps to institute parental controls on children use of mobiles following repercussions that have affected entire generations.

He noted that Egypt has taken steps since 2018 to regulate digital content, stressing that current efforts align with global trends.

Countries such as the United Kingdom and France have in recent years debated stricter legislation to enhance online child protection, while most European Union states are discussing similar regulatory frameworks.

According to Abdel-Mawla, a draft law under preparation is based on three main pillars, including establishing a clear age-rating system for digital content and electronic games, with defined procedures and penalties for non-compliance.

The legislation also seeks to regulate platform operations in consultation with international companies to ensure enforceability and effectiveness.

The draft law would subject certain electronic games — particularly those involving open interactions or potentially harmful content — to specific standards.

Abdel-Mawla referred to international practices requiring additional approvals for games that allow open communication between users, noting proposals to introduce “safe mode” options and dedicated parental controls, alongside clear age classifications. The matter is currently under review by the Supreme Council for Media Regulation.

He stressed that the objective is not to prevent users from accessing platforms or playing games, but rather to introduce safeguards that address risks and protect children without infringing on freedom of use.

For his part, committee chair Ahmed Badawi questioned enforcement mechanisms, with officials responding that implementation tools will draw on international experiences and include clear standards and penalties to ensure the law achieves its intended goals.

In early February, the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR) blocked the online gaming platform Roblox in Egypt, citing concerns over risks to children and adolescents.

 Source: Al Ahram Online