Egypt’s National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) has submitted proposed amendments to the Justice Ministry that would expand legal protections for children, including classifying online exploitation as a “child at risk” offense under the Child Law, a council source familiar with the draft told Al Manassa.
The proposals seek to amend Child Law No. 12 of 1996, as revised in 2008, to broaden Article 96’s definition of children at risk and introduce new safeguards for minors in digital spaces, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Under the proposed changes, cases of online exploitation would be treated as offenses against a “child at risk,” allowing authorities to intervene under the Child Law if stricter legislation, such as the Combating Human Trafficking Law No. 64 of 2010, cannot be applied.
The draft would expand Article 96’s “child at risk” provisions to include digital exploitation, enabling authorities to act under the Child Law when stricter legislation, such as the Combating Human Trafficking Law No. 64 of 2010, cannot be applied.
If trafficking provisions do not apply, the source said, prosecutors could instead invoke the Combating Information Technology Crimes Law No. 175 of 2018, particularly Article 25, which criminalizes online violations of “family values” and privacy. The article provides for penalties of at least six months in jail and fines ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,064 to $2,128), or either penalty.
The proposed amendments also include a new section titled “Protecting Children on the Internet,” aimed at regulating minors’ digital use without imposing a blanket ban. The source said the NCCM rejects prohibiting children from using the internet or social media, emphasizing that the goal is regulation and age-appropriate safeguards, not deprivation of access for education and communication.
Under the draft concept, work is underway on age-verification mechanisms to ensure content classification and the application of age-based filtering systems. Technical options under discussion include biometric verification through facial recognition.
The source said the proposal envisions creating an independent body called the “Child Digital Safety Authority,” with a regulatory and coordinating mandate. It would coordinate among child-protection bodies and the communications and information technology sectors, set digital protection policies and standards, monitor platforms’ compliance with age controls, and run awareness and training programs for families.
Under the proposed concept, the authority would act as an intermediary for age verification, confirming a user’s age bracket to platforms without sharing sensitive data such as the national ID number.
In the same context, the source pointed to a third proposal to activate the so-called “right to be forgotten,” allowing a child, upon turning 18, to request deletion of content published during childhood, whether inappropriate or posted without understanding its consequences. That would include full deletion from platforms’ servers to ensure it is not republished or exploited later.
The proposals come amid broader debate in Egypt over children’s digital exposure. The Senate recently held discussions on drafting legislation to limit the risks of mobile phone and social media use by minors, following President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s Jan. 24 call for age-based restrictions similar to those adopted in countries such as Australia and Britain.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Council for Media Regulation said it was moving to ban the gaming platform Roblox, along with two other websites it accused of promoting cohabitation. The regulator later confirmed Roblox had been blocked in Egypt, joining countries including China, Turkey, Russia, Qatar, Oman, Iraq and Algeria in restricting the platform.
