Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Egypt is moving to introduce new restrictions on children’s use of social media platforms, as lawmakers and government officials warn of what they describe as growing “digital chaos” that threatens the mental, social, and behavioral development of young users.
The House of Representatives said in a statement late Sunday that it is preparing legislation aimed at regulating children’s access to social media, citing the negative impact of unregulated digital exposure on children’s futures. Parliament indicated that it will work closely with the government and specialized expert bodies to draft a law designed to protect Egyptian children from online risks that could affect their thinking, values, and behavior.
The parliamentary move follows remarks by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who on Saturday publicly called on the government and lawmakers to consider imposing limits on children’s use of social media “until they reach an age at which they can deal with it properly.” In televised comments, El-Sisi urged policymakers to study international experiences, pointing specifically to countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom that are debating or implementing measures to restrict or ban minors’ access to social media platforms.
Concerns over children’s digital safety have been growing in Egypt amid rising internet penetration and smartphone use. According to a 2024 report by the National Center for Social and Criminological Research, a government-affiliated think tank, around 50 percent of Egyptians under the age of 18 use social media platforms. The report warned that young users are increasingly exposed to harmful content, cyberbullying, online abuse, and psychological pressures linked to excessive screen time.
Egypt’s discussion mirrors a broader global debate over how to balance children’s access to digital technologies with concerns about mental health, privacy, and online safety. In December, Australia became the first country to impose a nationwide ban on social media use for children under the age of 16, a move that sparked intense domestic and international debate and prompted other governments to explore similar approaches.
In the United Kingdom, the government has said it is considering banning young teenagers from social media while strengthening existing laws aimed at protecting children from harmful online content and limiting excessive screen time. France has also moved in the same direction, with President Emmanuel Macron urging his government to fast-track legislation to enforce a social media ban for children under 15 starting from the next school year.
While no specific age limits or enforcement mechanisms have yet been announced in Egypt, lawmakers say the upcoming legislation will seek to strike a balance between protecting children and acknowledging the growing role of digital platforms in education and communication. Any new law is expected to address issues such as parental consent, platform responsibility, age verification, and penalties for non-compliance.
As the debate unfolds, Egypt joins a widening circle of countries reassessing the role of social media in children’s lives, amid mounting evidence that unchecked digital exposure can have lasting social and psychological consequences.
