An illustrative image of SIM cards. AFP
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology on Wednesday announced the official launch of two child online safety services, Etmaen (Rest Assured) and Etmaen Ala El Akher (Rest Fully Assured), following the signing of licensing amendments with Egypt's mobile operators.
The services, widely referred to as the Child SIM, aim to provide a safer digital environment for children using mobile internet, in line with state efforts to strengthen online child protection.
The signing ceremony was attended by Communications and Information Technology Minister Raafat Hindi, National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) CEO Mohamed Shamroukh, executives from Telecom Egypt, Orange Egypt, e& Egypt, Vodafone Egypt, as well as representatives of technology firms KidZonet Egypt and CyShield.
Hindi said the initiative seeks to promote the safe and responsible use of digital services while enabling children to benefit from the educational, social, and developmental opportunities offered by the internet.
"The goal is to strike a balance between allowing children to access the internet's vast educational and learning resources and equipping Egyptian families with effective tools to protect them from digital risks and inappropriate content," he said.
He added that the ministry is working with relevant authorities to establish a comprehensive governance framework for child online protection while expanding awareness campaigns targeting both parents and children.
The two services are designed to provide secure internet access on mobile phones without requiring parents to configure technical settings. Content filtering is based on international child online protection standards issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The Etmaen service blocks access to harmful and age-inappropriate websites, activates safe browsing features, and enables safe search on major search engines. It also protects users by blocking websites known to host malware, viruses, and other cyber threats.
The enhanced Etmaen Ala El Akher service includes all of the features available in Etmaen, while also blocking access to social media websites and applications, offering families an additional level of control over children's online activities.
The services can be activated by the registered mobile line owner through the branches of Egypt's four mobile operators or directly via each operator's mobile application.
The ministry said the initiative reflects Egypt's commitment to building a safer digital society by combining technical safeguards with regulatory measures to protect children online and encourage the responsible use of digital technologies.
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