Official Launch of the "Child SIM Card": How Is Egypt Addressing Online Risks Facing Children?
Egypt has officially launched the Etmaen and Etmaen Ala El Akhar mobile services, known as the "Child SIM" initiative, offering parents built-in tools to block harmful content, enable safe browsing, and restrict children's access to social media.
As part of directives from Egypt's political leadership to enhance online child protection, Raafat Hindi, Egypt's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, witnessed the signing of licensing amendments for the "Etmaen" and "Etmaen Ala El Akhar" services—commonly referred to as the "Child SIM" initiative.
The services are designed to provide children with a safer digital environment while using the internet on mobile devices and mark the official launch of the initiative.
The ceremony was attended by Mohamed Shamroukh, CEO of the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), Tamer El Mahdy, Managing Director and CEO of Telecom Egypt, Hisham Mehran, CEO of Orange Egypt, Hazem Metwally, CEO of e& Egypt, Karim Eid, Chief Commercial Officer of Vodafone Egypt, Nidal Taha, Chairman of Kidzont Egypt, and Dr. Mostafa Eissa, Managing Director of CyShield.
Safer Internet Experience for Children
Minister Raafat Hindi said the launch of the two services reflects the government's commitment to promoting the safe and responsible use of digital technologies while strengthening online child protection.
He explained that the initiative aims to balance children's ability to benefit from the internet for education, learning, communication, skill development, and educational gaming, while providing parents with practical tools to protect their children from harmful online content and digital risks.
The services are aligned with international best practices for online child safety and are intended to create a more secure digital environment for children using mobile internet services.
The minister added that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology continues to work with relevant authorities to establish a comprehensive governance framework for child online protection, alongside awareness campaigns that promote responsible internet use among both parents and children.
Two Levels of Digital Protection
The Etmaen service provides a secure browsing experience by blocking access to harmful and age-inappropriate content on supported mobile lines.
It also enables Safe Browsing and Safe Search across major search engines, while offering cybersecurity protection by blocking websites known to host malware, viruses, and other online threats.
The Etmaen Ala El Akhar service includes all the features of Etmaen and adds restrictions on access to social media platforms and applications, providing an additional layer of protection for families wishing to limit children's use of social networking services.
Based on International Standards
The classification of appropriate and inappropriate content is based on internationally recognized child online protection standards issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Parents can subscribe to either service through the owner's mobile account at branches of Egypt's four mobile operators or directly through each operator's mobile application, making activation simple and accessible.
Supporting a Safer Digital Society
The initiative reflects the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the National Telecom Regulatory Authority's commitment to supporting Egypt's digital transformation while helping families provide a safer online environment for children.
By combining modern technology with regulatory safeguards, the Etmaen and Etmaen Ala El Akhar services represent a significant step toward strengthening child online protection and promoting the responsible use of digital technologies across Egypt.