Arab Finance: Egypt’s Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR) and National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) have ordered social media platforms to prohibit independent accounts for children under 13 and introduce mandatory safeguards for users aged 13 to under 15, as per a statement.
The joint decision, issued following directives from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, requires platforms to implement measures aimed at protecting children and young people from harmful content, exploitation, cyberbullying, harassment, extortion, and other online risks.
Under the decision, social media platforms may not create, activate, or make independent personal accounts available to children younger than 13. Users aged 13 to under 15 may hold accounts, provided that a safe mode is activated automatically and cannot be disabled unilaterally by the child while they remain within that age group.
Platforms must also introduce effective and proportionate age-verification measures, prevent users from circumventing age restrictions, comply with personal data protection requirements, and limit the information collected for verification to the minimum necessary.
The decision requires platforms to review existing accounts and take appropriate action when reliable mechanisms confirm or strongly indicate that an account belongs to someone under 15. Platforms must also establish a clear process for users to appeal decisions or correct their recorded age in cases of error.
Social media platforms must comply with the requirements within three months of the decision taking effect. They must also submit an implementation plan and timetable setting out the required technical and operational measures within 30 days of the decision’s publication and formal notification.
SCMR Chairman Khaled Abdel Aziz said protecting children and young people online is a shared responsibility involving the state, families, society, and digital platforms.
Abdel Aziz also added that the measures are not intended to prevent children from using technology or separate them from digital development. Instead, they seek to ensure that children use technology within a responsible framework suited to their age and ability to manage online risks.
