Social Media Accounts Banned for Children Under 13 in Egypt

Social media platforms operating in Egypt must block independent personal accounts for children under 13 and automatically place users aged 13 to under 15 in a mandatory Safe Mode under a new joint decision by the Supreme Council for Media Regulation and the National Telecom Regulatory Authority.

The Safe Mode cannot be disabled by users while they remain within that age group. Platforms must also introduce effective age-verification measures, prevent attempts to bypass age restrictions and minimise the personal data collected during verification.

Existing accounts believed to belong to users under 15 must be reviewed and brought into compliance, while platforms will also need to provide a clear appeals process for correcting age information where mistakes occur.

Companies have 30 days from notification to submit an implementation plan detailing their technical and operational measures, and three months to fully comply with the new requirements.

Khaled Abdel Aziz, head of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, said the measures are intended to protect children from harmful content, exploitation, bullying, harassment and blackmail while still allowing age-appropriate access to digital platforms.

The decision follows directives from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to strengthen protections for children and young people from social-media risks. It also comes amid similar moves internationally, including new European plans to restrict social media access for younger users.