Egypt Launches Child-Safe Mobile Internet Services to Strengthen Online Protection for Children
Egypt's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Raafat Hindi, has officially launched two new child internet protection services—"Etmaen" and "Etmaen Ala Al Akher"—designed to provide a safer online environment for children using mobile internet services.
The launch was accompanied by the signing of amendments to the operating licenses between the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) and Egypt's four mobile network operators, marking the official rollout of the services, widely referred to as the "Child SIM" initiative.
The signing ceremony was attended by Mohamed Shamroukh, CEO of the NTRA; Tamer El Mahdy, Managing Director and CEO of Telecom Egypt; Hesham Mehran, CEO of Orange Egypt; Hazem Metwally, CEO of e& Egypt; Karim Eid, Chief Commercial Officer of Vodafone Egypt; Nidal Taha, Chairman of Kidzont Egypt; and Mostafa Eissa, Managing Director of CyShield.
Hindi said the initiative comes in response to directives from Egypt's political leadership to strengthen online child protection and promote the safe and responsible use of digital technologies.
He explained that the new services aim to strike a balance between enabling children to benefit from the internet for education, learning, communication, digital skills development, and age-appropriate gaming, while providing Egyptian families with effective tools to shield children from harmful online content and digital threats in line with international best practices.
The minister added that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is continuing to work with relevant stakeholders to establish a comprehensive governance framework for child online safety while expanding awareness programs that promote responsible internet use among children and parents.
The two services are designed to provide a safer mobile browsing experience by automatically blocking access to harmful or age-inappropriate content without requiring parents to perform complex technical configurations. Content classification has been developed in accordance with international child online protection standards issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The "Etmaen" service offers internet filtering that blocks harmful content, activates safe browsing features, enables safe search across major search engines, and provides advanced cybersecurity protection by preventing access to websites associated with malware, viruses, and other cyber threats.
Meanwhile, "Etmaen Ala Al Akher" includes all the protections available under the "Etmaen" service while adding restrictions on access to social media platforms and applications, offering families an additional level of parental control over children's online activities.
Parents can subscribe to either service by visiting branches of Egypt's four mobile operators or directly through each operator's mobile application, making activation simple and accessible.
The initiative reflects the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology's and the NTRA's broader commitment to building a safer digital society and equipping Egyptian families with practical tools to protect children online. By combining advanced technical solutions with a supportive regulatory framework, the two services represent a significant step toward promoting safer and more responsible internet use for young users across Egypt.
