The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) has launched a collaborative media campaign with the UAE Media Council and TikTok focused on "Family Online Safety". This initiative aims to raise community awareness and promote safe browsing practices for children and families on websites and social media platforms.
The collaborative campaign launched by TDRA features a series of short awareness videos designed to educate children and families on safe usage of digital platforms, focusing on topics such as privacy, online gaming, cyberbullying, screen time management, and parental control tools.
The campaign enlisted the participation of social media influencers who shared their experiences using digital platforms, highlighting challenges and the importance of safe use practices. Additionally, collaboration was established with cinemas, theaters, and television channels across the country to support the community initiative under the slogan of "Family Online Safety".
Commenting on the campaign launch, H.E. Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, TDRA Director General, said: “TDRA actively fulfills its societal role as outlined in its institutional strategies and values. With a strong focus on various segments of society, TDRA prioritizes children and families by launching awareness initiatives and programs aimed at enhancing their online safety.”
Al Mesmar added: “The UAE society is undoubtedly one of the most internet-active societies, which heightens the likelihood of potential errors. Hence, launching campaigns like these is crucial to raising awareness about potential threats and equipping individuals with the necessary knowledge to address them effectively.”
In turn, H.E. Mohammed Saeed Al Shehhi as Secretary-General of the UAE Media Council said: “The campaign underscores the Council's commitment to safeguarding children and families from content that contradicts the UAE's principles and values, through partnerships with relevant government entities and digital platforms. The UAE Media Council has developed legislation to regulate media content across all platforms, ensuring a safe and responsible digital environment for children nationwide.”
His Excellency emphasized the significance of this initiative in educating families about best practices to ensure their children’s digital safety. He highlighted the importance of providing them with the necessary tools and mechanisms to effectively address any challenges they may encounter.
Jinan Al-Hashli, Head of Public Policy at TikTok GCC, commended the campaign saying: “At TikTok, we are dedicated to fostering a safe environment for our digital communities. Our partnership with TDRA and the UAE Media Council to launch the "Interactive Family Safety Guide" aligns with this commitment. This initiative aims to empower digital communities with essential information and tools to safeguard their families across all digital platforms. We are enthusiastic about contributing to this strategic goal, reflecting the values and priorities of our families and community.”
The campaign, supported by the UAE Media Council and the TikTok platform, aimed to raise awareness on various internet-related topics, including its applications and uses, policies regulating social media content, platform-monitoring measures, and the significance of partnerships in ensuring digital safety.
The campaign emphasizes the importance of privacy when using the Internet, highlighting the protection of personal data that should not be shared. It covers privacy controls like digital fingerprinting and educates on how to manage and utilize them effectively to prevent unauthorized access to personal information.
Due to the widespread popularity of electronic games among teenagers, the campaign underscores the significance of selecting age-appropriate games. It includes visuals aimed at educating internet users, particularly children and families, about the dangers of trusting strangers online and the possibility that individuals may not be who they claim to be. The campaign emphasizes the importance of refraining from sharing banking details or private photos and videos with anyone on the internet.
The campaign also aims to raise awareness about the dangers and consequences of excessive use of electronic devices, emphasizing the importance of establishing safe and appropriate usage times based on age groups. It further elaborates on the guidelines for healthy digital device use issued by the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority.
The campaign redoubles its efforts to educate users about cyberbullying and its associated dangers. It educates children on appropriate responses when encountering cyberbullying, emphasizing the importance of informing a trusted adult. Guardians play a crucial role by understanding the approved procedures in the country for reporting cyberbullying accounts, posts, and topics.
In addition to promoting safe internet usage, the campaign raises awareness about parental control tools, which are instrumental in mitigating various potential risks. These tools can be activated through the control panel available on all operating systems for computers, phones, tablets, gaming platforms, and social networks.
The campaign urges children and families to actively contribute to creating a safe digital environment by reporting inappropriate online content. It emphasizes that addressing such content is a collective societal responsibility, necessitating collaborative efforts to minimize its impact.
H.E. Eng. Mohammad Al Zarooni, TDRA Deputy Director General for the Information and Digital Government Sector, urged Internet users to adopt a responsible and active role from their respective positions, saying: “We recognize the importance of collective efforts to promote a culture of balanced and safe internet usage, especially in a world experiencing rapid growth and continuous development. This environment brings forth challenges such as misinformation, fraud, internet addiction, and more, necessitating support from both young people and parents to effectively confront these issues”.
The launch of this campaign underscores TDRA's commitment to safeguarding children and families in the digital realm. It aims to create a secure online environment that enables effective self-expression, bolstering measures for family online safety. This initiative is particularly crucial amidst the UAE's growing online community engagement.