Egypt Bans Independent Social Media Accounts for Children Under 13
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Egypt has ordered social media platforms not to create, activate or make independent personal accounts available to children under 13, while requiring automatic Safe Mode for users aged 13 to under 15, under a joint decision issued by the Supreme Council for Media Regulation and the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.
The decision divides users under 15 into two age groups. Children under 13 will not be allowed independent personal accounts, while users aged 13 to under 15 may have accounts only with Safe Mode enabled automatically and mandatorily. Children in that age group will not be able to disable the setting on their own.
Platforms must introduce effective and proportionate methods to verify users' ages and prevent attempts to circumvent the age limits. They must also comply with personal-data protection requirements and limit the amount of information collected for age verification. Existing accounts believed to belong to users under 15 must also be reviewed, with an appeals process available to correct inaccurate age determinations.
Social media companies have up to three months from the date the decision takes effect to comply with the new requirements. They must also submit an implementation plan and timetable detailing the necessary technical and operational measures within 30 days of the decision's publication and formal notification.
Khaled Abdel Aziz, head of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, said the measures are intended to regulate children's use of technology in a way appropriate to their age rather than deprive them of digital services. Mohamed Shamroukh, chief executive of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, said the framework applies different levels of protection depending on users' age groups and the risks associated with platform use.
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Tahani Elghazaly5002 Posts
