Khaberni - Egypt has moved towards tightening child protection with an official decision to block the game Roblox, within broader actions to regulate the use of smartphones and electronic platforms.
There is growing interest in Egypt to protect children in the digital space, following swift official actions that revealed an approach to tighten restrictions on the use of smartphones and social media, leading to the banning of some electronic games classified as hazardous, with Roblox being at the forefront.
Egypt joins the banning countries
And Egypt has joined several countries that imposed a ban or restrictions on the gaming platform, including China, Turkey, Russia, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, and Algeria, following an official decision issued today, Wednesday, by the highest official authority concerned with media to block Roblox.
The decision by the Supreme Council for Media Regulation to block the game comes in parallel with government efforts to draft new legislation regulating children's use of electronic devices, a topic that has been discussed among experts for years without actual movement.
Presidential intervention brings the matter back to priority
The issue entered the priority circle after President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in a speech he delivered last month, called for the enactment of specific legislation to protect children from the dangers of early use of smartphones and electronic screens, citing international experiences such as those of Australia and England, without specifying a particular age.
Increasing family concerns
Walid Yousry, a father of two children aged twelve and fourteen, believes that this presidential intervention is capable of ending the long-standing stagnation around the topic, giving the awaited legislation priority within the parliament.
He explained that smartphones have become widespread among children, sometimes even turning into a means of boasting, although the primary purpose of acquiring them was to ensure their safety while they were outside the home, at clubs, training, or visiting friends.
He pointed out that electronic games and social media applications have become the primary activity that fills children's free time, noting that some of these applications contain content that is not even suitable for adults.
Legislative movement within the parliament
On the legislative front, the Egyptian Senate began communicating with the government to understand its policies regarding regulating children's use of smartphones and formed a joint committee from the Committees of Education, Communications, Health, and Human Rights, to develop a vision for a new law.
During this week's session, Senate member Walid Al-Tamimi confirmed that rapid legislative intervention represents the only way to end the state of electronic chaos and protect children from psychological and social dangers such as depression, extortion, and loss of identity.
Practical application and privacy
In contrast, Adham Abdel Rahman, an information technology researcher, differentiated between children owning smartphones and using social media applications, explaining that owning a phone is primarily a family decision, while the use of digital platforms can be regulated through a mix of family supervision and regulatory rules.
He indicated that fully controlling this issue is difficult anywhere in the world, pointing out that verifying users' ages requires gathering personal data and establishing verification mechanisms, which raises questions related to privacy and freedoms, calling for a community discussion concurrent with the drafting of legal texts, requiring cooperation between the family, the state, and major technology companies.
Legislative options presented
Mahmoud Fawzy, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Legal and Political Communication, pointed out that the current legal proposal includes two options, the first is the creation of an independent authority specialized in children's digital safety, and the second is assigning this task to the National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority as the technical entity responsible for regulating the communications sector.
Global data indicates that the game Roblox, launched in 2006, recorded about 83 million active daily users during 2024, and generated revenues of $3.6 billion in the same year.
Parental complaints lead to blocking
In Egypt, complaints from parents about the game's impact on children's behavior escalated recently, paving the way for the Supreme Council for Media Regulation to officially announce the game's blocking today, Wednesday.
An official statement mentioned that the Council, chaired by Khaled Abdel Aziz, issued a decision to implement the block starting today, Wednesday, after coordinating with the National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority.
Amal Serhan, a housewife, said she noticed clear changes in the behavior of her 13-year-old son while he was playing the game, including bouts of anger and using inappropriate language, considering that the platform includes multiple games whose content is difficult to control, negatively affecting children's behavior.
