Parents urged to monitor children's gaming to prevent cybercrime

Dubai: As summer vacation begins and children spend more time playing video games, the Dubai Police's Cybercrime Department, part of the General Department of Criminal Investigation, has highlighted the importance of family supervision. They aim to protect kids from potential risks and crimes associated with these games.

They advised parents to teach their children about the importance of avoiding communication with strangers through game features.

The Cybercrime Department emphasises that with the rise in video game usage during the summer break, it is essential for families to be actively involved as the first line of defence. They stress that parental oversight is vital to protecting children from cybercrime risks and for addressing unhealthy behaviours such as bullying and digital addiction.

The Department encouraged parents to be vigilant about game content and assess its appropriateness for their children's age. They highlighted the need to be aware of interactive features that may allow direct communication with strangers, who could exploit children for crimes like fraud, extortion, or other offences against public decency.

The Cybercrime Department advised parents to take several precautions to protect their children from risks associated with video games, including activating parental controls on devices, consistently monitoring their children's online behaviour, checking the types of games they play, and ensuring those games are age-appropriate.

Additionally, they stressed the importance of reminding children not to share personal information or photos in games, setting specific limits on gaming time, and offering alternative recreational and educational activities during the vacation.

The Cybercrime Department emphasised that if cybercrimes related to video games occur, reports can be submitted to the police through the 'e-Crime' platform, by calling 901, or via the Dubai Police app or website.

In this context, the Department encouraged parents to visit Dubai Police's educational online platform to learn more about cybercrime. The platform offers valuable information in both Arabic and English, focusing on prevention measures against cybercrime risks and guidance on recognising and avoiding scams.

The platform is designed for all community members, including children, parents, everyday individuals, business owners, employees, and social media and internet users. Everyone can access it via the following link: https://ecrimehub.gov.ae/ar.