"Prohibition is not the solution" – Head of the Communications Committee of Parliament reveals features of the social media law for children
Hanan Atef Published: Monday, June 1, 2026 - 6:53 AM | Last updated: Monday, June 1, 2026 - 6:53 AM
Representative Ahmed Badawy, head of the Communications and Information Technology Committee in the House of Representatives, said that the draft law regulating the use of social media for children is still in the discussion and hearing stage, adding that the committee will begin discussing the articles of the law once the government finalizes its draft and submits it to parliament.
Badawy added, via the program "From Maspero" with journalist Rami Radwan and journalist Emad El-Din Hussein, yesterday Sunday on the first channel, that the family represents a fundamental element in the success of the law's implementation, noting that children are currently resorting to using VPN applications widely to bypass restrictions imposed on some platforms, which calls for more effective regulatory mechanisms to protect children during internet use.
He pointed out that the anticipated child SIM card is not a new SIM card, but rather it will be linked to the parent's SIM card, explaining that the father or mother will be given a special code through which the child protection settings on the phone can be activated.
He added that the goal of the SIM card is not to completely prevent children from using social media, but to block or restrict access to content and applications that may pose a danger to them, stressing that "prohibition is not the solution, but regulation is the solution."
He revealed that the child SIM card is scheduled to be launched experimentally starting next July, with details of its use and related applications to be announced later at a press conference.
He stressed that the use of the SIM card will not be mandatory for families, but will be optional, noting that many parents are waiting for this step due to the difficulties they face in monitoring their children's use of smartphones and social media.
Regarding the targeted age group, he explained that current proposals cover children under 13 years old, but the final age determination is still under discussion within the committee and relevant authorities.
He pointed out that the issue of students carrying mobile phones inside schools has not been resolved yet, stressing that discussions are still ongoing and are expected to be resolved in the coming weeks within the articles of the law.
He added that the committee has held 9 hearings so far, resulting in a set of recommendations that were submitted to the government, while there are still about 7 other sessions before completing the discussion of various aspects of the draft law with the relevant executive authorities.
