Egypt’s National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) announced on Tuesday 24 February the launch of ‘child friendly’ SIM cards aimed at providing parents with the tools necessary to protect their children from inappropriate online content. The announcement was made during a meeting of the Communications and Information Technology Committee at the House of Representatives on Tuesday 24 February. Hossam Abdel-Mawla, an official from the NTRA, revealed that dedicated mobile lines for children will be rolled out within the next month. These new SIM cards will employ activation codes to enable strict controls on access to pornographic websites, violent material, and even tools designed to bypass such restrictions, including VPN applications. Additionally, the initiative will encompass regulatory measures for electronic games, aligning Egypt’s approach with a growing global focus on digital child safety. Abdel-Mawla stressed that concerns over internet regulation and child protection are longstanding issues, noting that it has taken nearly two decades for many nations to fully grasp the negative implications of digital content on youth. During the meeting, Committee Chair Ahmed Badawi raised questions regarding the enforcement of these measures. In response, Hossam Abdel Mawla, representing the NTRA,…
