UAE steps up efforts to protect children from online threats

Abu Dhabi: As the digital world evolves rapidly, the UAE is stepping up efforts to protect children from online threats and promote safe, responsible internet use. The approach brings together government entities, technology companies, families and security authorities.

The strategy combines digital awareness, parental controls, technology-based safeguards and the prompt reporting of cybercrime. The aim is to help children navigate the online world safely while benefiting from its educational and developmental opportunities.

In a significant step towards expanding these efforts across the region, Google.org, Google's philanthropic arm, has announced a $2.4 million grant to Injaz Al-Arab. The funding will help equip more than 2.3 million children across nine Middle Eastern and North African countries with digital safety, security and citizenship skills over four years.

The initiative will be delivered through the Arabic-language version of Google's Abtal Al Internet (Internet Heroes) programme. It will reach children in the UAE, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and four other countries in the region.

The announcement coincides with the launch of an interactive Google Internet Heroes experience at Alserkal Avenue in Dubai on October 24 and 25, in partnership with the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) and the National Media Office (NMO).

The interactive space offers families hands-on activities to raise digital awareness and introduces parents to safety and supervision features available across Google's products and services, including children's and teenagers' accounts on YouTube and the YouTube Kids app.

UAE puts children's digital awareness at the heart of its strategy

Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the National Media Office, said creating a safe digital environment for young people was a key part of the UAE's vision to build a secure, sustainable, knowledge-based society.

He stressed that protecting future generations from cyber risks must go hand in hand with helping them make the most of digital opportunities with awareness, confidence and responsibility.

During a visit to the interactive Google Internet Heroes experience, Al Hamed said digital awareness was essential to helping children distinguish reliable information from misleading content, protect their privacy and behave responsibly and respectfully online.

Preparing young people for the future, he added, involves more than teaching them how to use technology. It also means developing the values and skills they need to make informed decisions and use digital tools responsibly.

Greater digital awareness gives children more opportunities to explore, learn and create, while helping them contribute to a safer and more beneficial online environment, he said.

Saeed Balhol, Acting Director-General of TDRA, said the authority's approach to children's digital safety combined prevention, awareness and empowerment, with families, relevant authorities and digital platforms sharing responsibility.

With technology and artificial intelligence advancing rapidly, protecting children does not mean keeping them away from the digital world, he said. Instead, they should be equipped to explore it safely, confidently and responsibly.

The goal is to develop a generation with the knowledge and skills to make sound decisions and navigate the online environment safely.

Google and YouTube strengthen safeguards and parental controls

Anthony Nakache, Managing Director of Google for the Middle East and North Africa, said children increasingly use the company's products to explore the world and learn new skills.

From exploring a life-sized Tyrannosaurus rex through augmented reality on Google Search to learning science on YouTube and using Google's AI-powered Gemini tools to prepare for examinations, digital services have become an important part of children's learning.

Nakache said parents and technology companies shared a responsibility to guide children online, helping them develop balanced habits and become responsible digital citizens.

Google has introduced several default safeguards for users under 18. These include setting uploaded videos to private by default, disabling autoplay and personalised advertising, and providing parental supervision tools such as Google Family Link and YouTube's Family Centre.

Javid Aslanov, Head of YouTube for the Middle East and North Africa, said the platform wanted parents to feel confident when their children used YouTube to learn and explore, whether conducting a science experiment at home or discovering the region's history.

He said automatic safeguards and accessible parental controls allow families to tailor their children's viewing experience to their individual needs while making the most of educational content.

Earlier this year, YouTube introduced dedicated experiences for children and teenagers, giving parents in the region greater control over the content their children watch according to their age and developmental needs.

Parents can also set daily viewing limits for YouTube Shorts, including setting the limit to zero minutes a day.

These features complement YouTube Kids, a separate app designed specifically for children under 13, which offers several parental supervision options.

Research conducted by Kantar highlights YouTube's educational role in the region. According to the findings, 95% of viewers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia believe the platform offers leading educational content, while 92% of Generation Z users said YouTube had helped them develop new skills.

The findings highlight the importance of balancing access to educational resources with effective protection against online risks.

Abu Dhabi Police outline four pillars of online safety

Alongside these regional initiatives, Abu Dhabi Police have identified four key measures to protect children from online threats: parental supervision, technology-based safeguards, prompt reporting and regular monitoring of security alerts.

Lieutenant Colonel Ali Fares Al Nuaimi, Head of the Cybercrime Section at the Criminal Investigation Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police, said following these measures would strengthen digital awareness and help prevent cybercrime targeting children and other internet users.

The first measure is parental supervision, which begins with teaching children to take responsibility for their online safety. Protecting personal information and being cautious about suspicious content, messages and links are essential to avoiding online threats.

The second involves using parental controls and security applications, as well as monitoring the content children access online. These steps can help protect young users as they engage with digital platforms and new technologies.

The third is prompt reporting. Children and families should contact the relevant authorities if they encounter online grooming, cyberbullying or suspicious behaviour rather than ignore the incident or attempt to handle serious threats without assistance.

The fourth is regularly checking security warnings and awareness messages issued by Abu Dhabi Police. These alerts help families stay informed about emerging scams, understand how criminals exploit weaknesses in technology and recognise potential threats.

Al Nuaimi said these measures formed part of the police force's wider strategy, which prioritises preventing crime and building an informed, responsible society capable of responding to changing security challenges.

Fake links and banking impersonation drive online fraud

In a related development, the Criminal Investigation Directorate at Abu Dhabi Police has warned about several forms of online fraud, including scams involving fake links, criminals posing as government officials or bank representatives, and fraudulent shopping websites designed to steal bank card details.

According to Al Nuaimi, writing in the Ministry of Interior's Police Community magazine, these scams use deceptive methods to obtain victims' banking information and exploit it for financial gain.

He stressed the importance of avoiding links from unknown or unverified sources and never sharing banking details, passwords or verification codes with untrusted parties.

Users should also check the identity and authenticity of institutions and websites before making payments or entering personal information.

Building a safer digital future through shared responsibility

The efforts of government authorities, technology companies and security agencies show that protecting children online cannot be left to a single institution. It requires cooperation between families, schools, government entities, digital platforms and law enforcement agencies.

Awareness programmes such as Abtal Al Internet help children develop the skills to navigate online content safely. Parental controls and technological safeguards offer practical ways to reduce risks, while police guidance and early reporting can help identify threats before they escalate.

As children's use of the internet, social media and artificial intelligence tools grows, building a strong culture of digital safety at home is becoming increasingly important.

This should be based on open communication, trust and informed parental supervision, rather than relying solely on restrictions or traditional monitoring.

The aim is not to keep children away from technology but to help them benefit from its educational opportunities while learning to protect their privacy, recognise misleading information, interact responsibly and report threats or abuse.

By combining digital awareness with effective safeguards and early action against cybercrime, the UAE is working to prepare a generation that is better informed, safer online and equipped to thrive in an increasingly connected world.