By: Ramez Maged Makram

The Egyptian government announced on April 15, 2026, the launch of a new “Kids SIM Card” designed especially for children. The SIM card includes safe internet packages, parental control features, and restrictions on social media use based on age groups, as part of the state’s plan to protect children in the digital environment.

The Cabinet spokesperson explained that the new SIM card will be available before June 30, 2026, and aims to provide a safer online experience for children. It will also help parents monitor their children’s internet usage and reduce exposure to inappropriate content.

The decision received wide attention from Egyptian families, especially with the increasing dependence of children on smartphones and the internet for education and entertainment. Many parents considered this step an important way to protect children in the digital age.

On Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly held a meeting to follow up on measures to address the risks associated with digital platforms and electronic games in order to protect young people in the digital environment. The meeting was attended by Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Health and Population; Dr. Maya Morsy, Minister of Social Solidarity; Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education; Eng. Raafat Hindi, Minister of Communications and Information Technology; Dr. Abdel Aziz Konsowa, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research; Eng. Khaled Abdel Aziz, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation; Ahmed El-Moslemany, Chairman of the National Media Authority; Dr. Sahar El-Sonbaty, President of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood; Eng. Mohamed Shamroukh, CEO of the National Telecom Regulatory Authority; and officials from the relevant ministries and authorities.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Prime Minister confirmed that the government is working to implement the directives of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to quickly draft legislation that supports the goal of protecting children and youth by addressing risks in the digital environment. This aims to protect social values and ensure a safe digital environment. He noted that several meetings had previously been held to discuss this issue.

On another note, the Prime Minister stressed that the government is currently working to quickly finalize a number of legislations assigned by the President, most recently the draft laws related to the Egyptian family (Muslim family / Christian family / Family Support Fund) and submit them to the House of Representatives, as they address problems resulting from current laws through radical solutions. He added that a meeting will be held this week to follow up on this matter.

Counselor Mohamed El-Homsany, the official spokesperson for the Cabinet, stated that the meeting reviewed executive procedures related to implementing the President’s directives regarding the legislative and regulatory treatment of electronic gambling and how to combat it, as well as currency counterfeiting through electronic games and the necessary procedures to regulate and legalize the activities of companies working in this field. The discussions also covered digital addiction and mechanisms to protect children and youth in the digital environment.

He pointed out that efforts are being made to reach a unified national vision for the Egyptian government, as this issue in all its aspects directly affects national security, with the need to protect children and youth—as they are the foundation of society—from these risks.

The spokesperson added that, in this context, the proposed governance framework for protecting children online in Egypt was discussed. It includes activating protection tools on digital platforms by applying age verification mechanisms, parental controls, and content classification to ensure a safe digital environment for children. It also includes enhancing transparency and monitoring mechanisms through providing regular reports and receiving user complaints to take necessary actions and ensure compliance, as well as activating awareness campaigns within platforms by launching initiatives and awareness messages to promote the safe and responsible use of the internet.

Counselor Mohamed El-Homsany explained that this framework includes implementing several technical solutions, including providing the “Kids SIM Card” with safe internet packages that include parental control and restrictions on social media platforms according to age groups, which is expected to be launched before June 30, 2026. It also includes the “Fixed Internet Control” mechanism, where work is being done with telecom operators to provide content classification solutions and parental control over fixed internet using terminal devices that support more than one network identifier. In addition, several methods are being implemented to raise awareness of safe internet use, spread digital awareness, promote safe and responsible internet use, and reduce digital risks.

In this context, the Prime Minister directed the rapid completion of the draft law being prepared by the Cabinet’s advisory body regarding the proposal for protecting children online in Egypt, so that it can be shared with the responsible officials and relevant authorities, contributing to the issuance of a comprehensive draft law that achieves the desired goals.