Numerous legislative proposals have been circulating regarding restricting children’s use of mobile phones since President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi urged last month that a law be enacted in this respect.
The latest proposal, made by the newly appointed Minister of State for Information Diaa Rashwan, calls for banning mobile phone use in schools and to draw inspiration from the French experience, which prohibits their use for students up to the secondary school level.
Rashwan’s proposal came during a hearing held by the House of Representatives’ Communications Committee this week.
According to Rashwan, France took measures and put forward a draft law that was approved by MPs in this respect. Both Australia and Germany have started on a similar path, while the UK is also mulling over the idea, he said.
“This ban exists in 60 countries worldwide and should be similarly imposed in Egypt,” Rashwan said.
He suggested organising coordinated campaigns under a single slogan, with each ministry involved managing the campaign according to its specialisation. There should also be social media campaigns directed at parents and those responsible for children, he added.
However, Rashwan’s proposal was met with opposition from head of the House Culture and Media Committee Thuraya Al-Badri, who argued that “it is not possible to prevent a child from using a mobile phone, given the need for parents to check on their children, whether during lessons or school activities.”
“The solution lies in regulating the use of mobile phones not banning it.”
Al-Badri suggested “identifying a centre within each school to allow students to hand over their mobile phones at the beginning of the school day and then receive them back at the end of the day in a way that can achieve discipline and at the same time preserve the family’s right to communicate with their children.”
She explained that the French experiment with the mobile phone ban had been gradual, beginning with a legal measure in 2018 that applied to students up to the age of 15 in primary and preparatory schools.
In 2024, France launched a stricter pilot programme in approximately 200 middle schools, requiring students to hand over their phones at the entrance of the school instead of keeping them in their bags.
In December 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to extend the ban to high (secondary) schools starting with the current academic year.
Agreeing with Al-Badri, newly appointed Minister of Culture Jihan Zaki said that she does not support banning children from using mobile phones or tablets, given the tech-savvy nature of Generation Z (born 1997-2012) and Generation Alpha (born 2013-present).
“It is not possible to reach these two generations without the use of mobile phones,” Zaki explained, adding that “the young generations need communication and dialogue to raise their awareness and cultural level, and this can be achieved through mobile technology.”
She also pointed to the need to consider the differences between urban and rural areas, as well as varying educational levels and illiteracy rates when drafting a law regulating the use of social media.
Minister of Waqf (Religious Endowments) Osama Al-Azhari took the side of Rashwan, indicating that he is in full support of new legislation aimed at protecting children under the age of 16 from the dangers of social media.
“This can take the form of prohibiting children in schools from the use of mobile phones or using sophisticated technology to prevent children from accessing harmful social media applications and uses,” Al-Azhari said.
In response, Hossam Abdel-Mawla, vice president of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, said that the authority will soon provide a service that enables parents to activate lines dedicated to children, allowing them to exercise control over content through codes that prevent access to pornographic sites and violent content.
According to Abdel-Mawla, the issue of regulating the Internet and protecting children is not a recent one, explaining that it has taken the world nearly 20 years to realise the widespread negative effects of cyberspace.
Egypt began taking steps to regulate digital content in 2018, according to Abdel-Mawla, who stressed that the new legislation will be in line with global trends, as countries such as France and the UK have begun discussing stricter legislation to protect children from harmful content on the Internet over the last five years.
Most European countries are mulling over the same regulatory frameworks, he said.
Abdel-Mawla explained that the draft law is based on three pillars, the first of which is age classification through the establishment of a clear mechanism for classifying content and games according to age groups, with the imposition of procedures and penalties in case of non-compliance.
The use of electronic games will also be regulated by subjecting some of them to specific standards, especially those that include open interactions or content that may be harmful.
He pointed out that some countries require special approvals and standards for games that contain open communication between users, such as the Roblox game.
“There is also a proposal to provide a “safe mode” and parental control setting for children, in addition to placing a clear age rating on the games, and this matter is being studied by the Supreme Council for Media Regulation,” he said.
He stressed that the draft legislation is not meant to prevent users from playing or using platforms, but to put in place controls that solve problems and protect children without compromising freedom of use.
Joseph Edward, legal advisor to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, said the philosophy behind the new draft law is based on protecting children from the dangers of social media platforms, developing digital awareness among children, obligating service providers to establish technical and technological controls to protect minors, and strengthening the state’s role in institutional control with the cooperation of the concerned parties.
“The main pillar of this law is the use of technology to identify the child and verify his/her age, which ensures that his/her use of digital platforms is controlled in a safe manner,” Edward said.
He stressed that the main goal is to strike a balance between making technology available to children and ensuring their safety in the digital environment by establishing a clear regulatory framework that defines responsibilities and obligations.
MP Ahmed Badawi, head of the House’s Communications and Information Technology Committee, said there were divisions among officials, policymakers, and MPs over how the new legislation should look.
“Some say there should be a complete ban on the use of mobile phones by children under 16, while others contend that this is not possible and that it would be better to oblige service providers to intervene to prevent children under 16 from having access to harmful applications and websites,” Badawi said.
He explained that the committee will begin discussing the government-drafted law after the end of Eid Al-Fitr.
“I confirm that the committee will do its best to ensure that the draft law will be comprehensive and balanced in order to achieve the desired goal of protecting children from the dangers and harmful effects of technology and the Internet,” he said.
He explained that the draft law under preparation by government experts will also regulate the use of artificial intelligence, noting that regulating children’s use of social media does not mean not keeping up with developments worldwide, but rather comes within the framework of seeking to regulate use in accordance with international standards.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 5 March, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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