A recent report from the Telecom Regulation Authority (TRA) in Oman revealed that nearly 86% of children in the Sultanate use the Internet, with 43.5% utilizing it for information searches and 34% for entertainment and communication. The report also highlighted that 21% of children browse social media for over five hours daily.
During a dialogue session on Sunday, the discussion centered around a proposed law to regulate children’s Internet use, focusing on conditions and procedures, along with initiatives by telecom companies.
Hamida al Ajmi of TRA referenced the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) definition of a child, as outlined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Oman’s Child Protection Law No. 22/2014, which defines a child as anyone under the age of 18.
TRA is implementing several initiatives to protect children in the digital space, including the “Be Aware” national awareness campaign. Additionally, Omantel has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UNICEF to support child care programs and has launched the Secure Net program, which offers parental control features like content filtering, pause, and study time.
The Safe Net service, designed to protect users from online threats like viruses and phishing attacks, has also been enabled, and TRA is promoting software and tools to help control online content and provide guidelines for children. These initiatives aim to safeguard children’s privacy and ensure their safe and responsible use of the Internet.