• Egypt’s parliament plans legislation to regulate children’s access to social media.
• Lawmakers aim to limit psychological and behavioral risks linked to early exposure.
• The move aligns Egypt with a growing global debate on online child protection.

Egypt’s parliament said on January 25 it plans to draft legislation to regulate children’s use of social media. In a statement, the House of Representatives said the proposed bill aims to curb the negative effects of digital exposure on minors, including psychological and behavioral risks linked to early use of social platforms.

Lawmakers said they intend to consult with the government and specialized bodies to design an appropriate legal framework. The process is expected to focus on setting mechanisms to control children’s access to social media, while also regulating the practices of digital platforms operating in the country.

The initiative follows comments made a day earlier by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who urged the government and parliament to examine restrictions on children’s use of social media until they reach an age at which they can manage digital tools responsibly. The move places Egypt within a growing global debate on how to protect minors in the digital space.

Internationally, several countries have already taken steps to regulate young people’s access to social platforms. In France, the National Assembly recently adopted at first reading a bill seeking to ban social media for children under 15. Australia passed landmark legislation in December 2025 barring access to social media for those under 16, requiring platforms to delete non-compliant accounts or face heavy fines.

In Africa, online child protection remains uneven. Data from the International Telecommunication Union show that only 39 African countries had adopted a national child online protection strategy in 2024. At the same time, 32% of countries were still developing one, while 41% had taken no steps in that direction. This gap contrasts with the rapid growth of digital use, with a child worldwide connecting to the internet for the first time every half-second, according to the ITU.

For Egypt, adopting such legislation could strengthen protections for minors against digital risks, including cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content, and social pressures linked to intensive screen use. The task remains complex, however. Lawmaker Amira El-Adly has pointed to the lack of reliable official data on children’s internet use in Egypt and on related psychological or behavioral impacts, a gap that could complicate efforts to design a framework that is effective, balanced, and enforceable.

Samira Njoya