The Parliament of Egypt is planning to regulate children’s use of social media platforms to combat ‘digital chaos”. The country is following some western countries that are considering banning young teenagers from social media.
The House of Representatives claimed in a statement on Sunday i.e. 25th January 2025 that they will work on a legislation to regulate children’s use of social media and “put an end to the digital chaos our children are facing, and which negatively impacts their future.”
The Parliament will discuss with experts to draft the law to protect the Egyptian children from any risk that threaten its thoughts and behavior the official stated in a statement.
The official statement appears after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday i.e. 24th January requested his government and lawmakers to consider adopting legislating restricting children’s use of social media. The President stated that “until they reach an age when they can handle it properly.”
The president’s advice his government to look at other countries including Australia and United Kingdom that are working on legislations to restrict or ban children from social media.
As per reports about 50 per cent of children under 18 in Egypt use social media platforms where they are likely exposed to harmful content, cyberbullying and abuse, according to a 2024 report by the National Center for social and Criminology Research which is a government linked think tank.
In December, Australia became the first country to ban social media for children younger than 16. The move triggered fraught debates about technology use, privacy, child safety and mental health and has prompted other countries to consider similar measures.
Syed Ziyauddin is a media and international relations enthusiast with a strong academic and professional foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media from Jamia Millia Islamia and a Master’s in International Relations (West Asia) from the same institution.
He has work with organizations like ANN Media, TV9 Bharatvarsh, NDTV and Centre for Discourse, Fusion, and Analysis (CDFA) his core interest includes Tech, Auto and global affairs.
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