Dubai:Google and YouTube have announced a significant expansion of their online child safety drive, backed by a $2.4 million funding from Google.org. This initiative aims to empower youth across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region through digital safety and online citizenship training, utilizing the Arabic-language Abtal Al Internet curriculum. The program is set to reach over 2.3 million young people across nine countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia.
According to Wam, the funding will support INJAZ Al-Arab over a four-year period, focusing on children aged seven to thirteen. The Abtal Al Internet program, first launched in 2018, marks Google's ongoing commitment to enhancing digital literacy and safety. The announcement also coincides with the launch of the Google Abtal Al Internet Pop-Up Playground at Alserkal Avenue in Dubai, developed in partnership with the UAE Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) and the National Media Authority (NMA).
The Pop-up Playground, open to the public on October 24-25, offers families an engaging experience with Google's digital literacy program and showcases parental control features on Google products, including YouTube Kid and Teen accounts and the standalone YouTube Kids app. Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the National Media Authority, emphasized the importance of creating a safe digital environment to protect future generations from online risks while empowering them to responsibly harness digital opportunities.
Al Hamed highlighted the critical role of digital literacy in helping children identify reliable information, protect their privacy, and interact respectfully online. He stressed that preparing future generations requires instilling values and skills that enable responsible technology use, thereby broadening opportunities for exploration and creativity.
Google's Managing Director for MENA, Anthony Nakache, noted the company's efforts to integrate protections into its products, offering default safeguards and controls like Google Family Link and the YouTube Family Centre. This approach aims to help families navigate digital spaces safely, fostering healthy habits and responsible digital citizenship.
Saeed Belhoul, Acting Director-General of the TDRA, outlined the child digital safety strategy, which combines prevention, awareness, and empowerment, emphasizing the shared responsibility among families, entities, and digital platforms. The strategy seeks to empower children to explore and benefit from digital opportunities with confidence and responsibility.
Javid Aslanov, Head of YouTube MENA, reiterated the importance of empowering parents with tools to manage their children's content experience, highlighting the introduction of Kid and Teen Accounts and the YouTube Kids app with robust parental controls.
Google and YouTube are also promoting healthy digital habits through initiatives like the Family Online Safety Agreement, which encourages open family discussions about screen time and online safety.