The government recently announced that a new child SIM package will be launched soon as a tool to protect children and ensure a safe digital environment online.
The main objective of the package is to protect children online and regulate their Internet use, whether at home or at school. It will offer safe, child-specific Internet bundles and a protected digital environment that blocks access to inappropriate content, along with control tools that allow parents to monitor and manage their children’s Internet usage easily.
Deputy head of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) Mohamed Ibrahim explained that the child SIM will be registered in the name of the father or mother. They will be able to convert it into a child-specific SIM by entering a code that activates a child safe mode, preventing access to unsuitable websites or games.
Ibrahim said that the code can be obtained through customer service, mobile company branches, or activated at the time of purchase.
Information security expert and adviser to the Supreme Advisory Authority for Cybersecurity and Information Technology Walid Haggag said the package represents a technological leap in terms of parental control.
He said that with growing digital risks, the child SIM is an innovative solution offered by telecom companies to provide a safe Internet environment for younger generations. The SIM is not just a communication tool, but a “smart filter” operating at the network level to regulate a child’s digital life.
Haggag explained that the SIM operates through a special technical profile (child profile) activated by the telecom provider at the access point name (APN) level. Unlike regular SIMs, all incoming and outgoing data traffic is routed through dedicated servers governed by strict rules, meaning that content filtering begins at the service-provider level before it reaches the child’s device.
He noted that the SIM uses three advanced technologies to block inappropriate content, foremost among them DNS (domain name system) filtering which automatically blocks harmful websites.
It also relies on artificial intelligence to analyse links and keywords in real time, preventing access to platforms that may promote violence or age-inappropriate ideas. In stricter versions, it applies whitelisting, allowing access only to pre-approved educational and entertainment websites.
Haggag said that the child SIM is more effective than traditional software because filtering happens at the network level. This means a child cannot bypass restrictions by deleting apps or changing phone settings. It also provides high accuracy in classifying content based on internationally recognised age categories.
He added that the SIM allows calls but includes advanced monitoring features such as a permitted contacts list in which parents can specify certain numbers (such as parents and siblings) that the child can call or receive calls from.
It also blocks unknown numbers, preventing any number not listed in a trusted list from reaching the child, protecting them from strangers or harassment.
Haggag highlighted that scheduling is one of the SIM’s key strategies. It allows parents to set time windows during which Internet access is automatically cut off and to customise usage periods, only allowing educational sites during study time and enabling YouTube and games during holidays, for example.
It also enables daily quotas by setting a fixed number of hours for social-media use, after which data access stops.
He said he believes the child SIM is a proactive step to protect young users, combining telecommunications technology with digital parenting and giving parents peace of mind and the ability to guide their children safely in cyberspace.
PROTECTION: Digital psychology consultant Nevine Hosni said that “we are facing generations born with screens in their hands. The question is no longer how to prevent them from using technology but how do we save them from falling into the trap of being digitally controlled.”
Hosni described the new child SIM as a commendable effort but a purely technical one. She said it functions more as a harm-mitigation measure than a solution that addresses the root causes of the problem. It may reduce browsing outside the home and block inappropriate content when wi-fi is unavailable, but it will not prevent addiction if the child spends the remaining hours glued to a screen at home, she added.
Overcoming screen addiction among children requires a “digital weaning and substitution” strategy alongside such tools, Hosni said. This includes providing physical alternatives that trigger dopamine release in the brain such as sports, complex board games, and hands-on activities.
She also stressed the importance of establishing screen-free zones and strict time and place rules at home, such as no screens at the dining table, in bedrooms, or two hours before sleep, as well as setting a digital role model for children since parents cannot expect their children to disconnect while they themselves are constantly on their phones.
Hosni noted that children are not advised to own smartphones with unrestricted Internet access before the age of 13 or 14, a view supported by global initiatives like Wait Until 8th, a parent-led endeavour launched in the US in 2017 that encourages families to delay giving children smartphones until at least the end of eighth grade.
Before then, children’s brains lack sufficient development in the prefrontal cortex that is responsible for impulse control and risk assessment, Hosni said.
She added that age alone is not a sufficient measure, as psychological maturity also matters. Indicators to watch, Hosni noted, include independence in handling personal belongings, ability to accept being refused requests without severe outbursts, and a commitment to rules such as respecting screen-time limits on shared devices without daily conflicts.
Hosni warned that even with controls, smartphones can create a “digital bubble” among young users. Screen-based communication lacks body language, tone, and eye contact, which can weaken social and emotional intelligence. Children may also become more inclined towards isolation, as the virtual world offers an easier alternative that requires less effort than building real relationships, she explained.
She stressed that parental intervention must be firm and immediate if warning signs of digital addiction appear. These include withdrawal from social activities and hobbies, aggressive reactions or hysterical outbursts when Internet access is cut or devices are removed, and sudden declines in academic performance or concentration.
Other warning signs, Hosni said, include lying or hiding devices for secret use, changes in appetite such as overeating in front of screens or forgetting to eat, and severe sleep disturbances.
According to Hosni, technology is here to stay, but the role of parents is to build “psychological and cognitive immunity” in their children so that they become conscious users of modern tools and not prisoners of digital worlds.
Maha, 40 years old and the mother of two children aged eight and five, said she struggles with their excessive use of mobile phones. She said that her children’s attachment to their phones makes her anxious and afraid about their development, focus, and academic performance.
“When the government announced that a child SIM package would be released soon, I started asking about the details, but I haven’t been able to find the information I need. However, that won’t stop me from buying one as soon as it’s available,” she explained.
Mai, whose child Omar is 10 years old, like his classmates cannot seem to exist without a mobile phone. She said she finds it difficult to keep track of her son and monitor everything he accesses on the phone. Omar also wants to have his own phone, saying that all his classmates and other children his age have their own phones.
Mai said that not being tech-savvy, she does not know about the mobile apps other parents use to monitor their children. But as soon as she heard about the child SIM package, she promised her son she would buy him a phone that has it, so that she can supervise him.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 21 May, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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