Egypt and TikTok discussed new mechanisms for protecting children online. According to a cabinet statement issued on Friday 10 July, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hendy met with TikTok’s Executive Director of Public Policy for the Middle East, Eurasia, and Africa, Emir Gelen, on the sidelines of the World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2026 held in Geneva from 6 to 10 July. The discussions focused on online child-protection mechanisms and opportunities for cooperation between Egypt’s National Telecom Regulatory Authority and TikTok on capacity-building programmes. The two sides also explored ways to enrich online cultural and scientific content related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The meeting comes amid a wider government campaign to address concerns over children’s exposure to online risks while balancing digital protection with rapid technological change. In April, Hendy announced plans to launch a dedicated mobile SIM card for children in cooperation with Egypt’s four mobile operators. Earlier, in February, Egypt introduced its first Child Internet Risk Index, which assessed online safety for children aged five to twelve across several indicators, including safe digital use, parental supervision, protection from digital risks, and…
