Online safety in the UAE

UNDERSTANDING CHILD RIGHTS AND THE RISKS IN CYBERSPACE

Zen Khan Inspirational educator, International speaker and safeguarding expert

Online safety is typically referred to as the act of staying safe online. Commonly known however, as internet safety, e-safety, and cyber safety. Online safety applies to all technological devices which have access to the internet, from Personal Computers and laptops to smartphones and tablets.

Staying safe online means every individual (Including children) are protecting themselves and others from online risks and harm. There are many potential dangers within the online space and educating both children and adults on the risks will help keep each member of our communities safe. We Protect Global Alliance recently published a report “Global Threat assessment 2021” the report highlights that the scale and complexity of child sexual exploitation and abuse online are increasing!

So, what are the risks online?

The internet can be a wonderful resource and access to information for children and young adults, but online

access comes with risks, obvious risks are online bullying, bullying, grooming or device addiction, mental health linked too, psychological studies have linked cyberbullying to depression, anxiety, and risk for suicidal thinking. Teenagers are particularly vulnerable to cyberbullying, a recent report by Sharjah police advised parents should warn children not to share any personal information, photos or videos on social media and avoid interacting with strangers online, however parents are often unaware of the dangers lurking online.

The UAE has been ranked as one of the safest countries in the world and the UAE government is a leader in Child Protection and Safeguarding

The UAE was one of the first countries in the Middle East to sign the United Nations Convention on Child Protection.

It was followed by the Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 concerning child rights (the “Child Rights Law”), which was issued in light of a death of an eight-year-old girl that shocked the nation and entered into effect on 15 June 2016.

The Child Rights Law has created a substantial basis for further legal developments in terms of safeguarding the rights of children in the UAE.

According to Gulf News the Child Safety Department (CSD), an affiliate of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA) in Sharjah, carried out a study to identify parents’ awareness of cyber safety, especially for kids, a survey of 12,344 households in the Emirate of Sharjah, 73.4 percent of families with kids at home believe that the websites accessed by their youngsters are appropriate for their age.

Schools and teachers also play a very important part in educating children on the dangers lurking online and students, parents and schools’ staff must have a strong awareness about the legal and appropriate use of the internet and have policies that are clearly communicated to parents, staff and students.

Under the new Dubai Schools Law (Executive Council Resolution No. 2 of 2017) schools have an obligation to have in place a ‘student safety and protection policy’ approved by Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority and must take all necessary measures to care for and protect their students’ rights.

Students must be aware that should they engage in cyberbullying activities, there could be consequences under a school’s disciplinary and code of conduct procedures.

If a school is aware of these types of activities but does not act, there could be reputational, regulatory, and potentially even legal implications for that school.

The new UAE cybercrimes law provides the most practical course of action for victims of crimes involving technology. Article 20, for example, deals with slander in the broadest of terms:

Without prejudice to the provisions of slander crime prescribed in Islamic Sharia, any person who insults a third party or has attributed to him an incident that may make him subject to punishment or contempt by a third party by using an Information Network or an Information Technology Tool shall be punished by imprisonment and a fine not less than (AED 250,000) and not exceeding (AED 500,000) or by any of these punishments. Note that the prescribed fine is a minimum of AED 250,000. Imprisonment is also possible, although a minimum sentence is not prescribed. For some offences the Juvenile Law (Federal Law No. 9 of 1976) specifically dictates that children under the age of eighteen may be sentenced to no more than half of the prescribed retention period, (source Al Tamimi, 2021).

Cyberbullying is a growing problem amongst teenagers, Cyberbullying is bullying and harassment using technology. Including trolling, mobbing, stalking, grooming or any form of abuse online. Cyberbullying is most certainly on the increase, and we will be sharing tips on how adults can recognise the signs and provide support to children who are a victim of cyberbullying during our free webinar on the 19th of March 2022

With technology playing an ever-increasing part in children’s lives, the importance of teaching online safety to students has never been more important.

Below are some key stats from Ofcom (UK), 2020, to highlight why it is so important to effectively educate children on e-safety from a young age.

For reference, the minimum age for social media profiles is 13+ other than WhatsApp which is 16+.

3-4 years old

• 24% have their own tablet • 17% play games online

5-7 years old

• 4% have their own social media profile • 35% play games online

8-11 years old

• 21% have their own social media profile • 74% watch YouTube for 10+ hours a week (27% are watching vloggers)

12-15 years old

• 83% own their own smartphone • 74% of the children who own a smartphone take their phone to bed with them • 71% have at least ONE social media profile and 40% feel pressure to be ‘popular’ on social media sites. • 26% have experienced bullying via social media, messaging apps or texts • 50% have seen hate content, but of these, 58% ignored it and did not take action e.g. reporting or blocking the person who had posted.

So, what do children need to know and what do schools need to tell them?

Some of the most positive stats from the Ofcom research are:

• 96% of children who go online recall being told guidance around how to use the Internet safely • 84% say that this guidance came from either their parents or their teachers • 2/3 of children have said that they have used social media to offer personal, positive support to their friends who are having a hard time • 61% do not trust news posted on social media

However, there is still much more that can be done to help educate children on how to stay safe online.

Here are some tips for online safety for school staff:

• Create clear online-safety policies and procedures that will help you mitigate risk and respond to concerns • Ensure teachers are trained and aware of local laws and responsibilities towards protecting children both online and offline • Ensure parents and carers are educated about online risks by sharing helpful advice and resources • Provide regular student workshops on using social media and live streaming • Review and update your online safety provision on an ongoing basis.

Here are some tips for parents:

• Having clear boundaries in place ensure children know what they can and cannot access • Put yourself in control by enabling parental control features on devices and Internet connections (If available) • Ensure that screen time is limited • If your child comes to you with an issue stay calm without judging them • Ensure that you regularly educate yourself on the latest social media trends and platforms

The UAE is committed to protecting children both online and offline, we will be sharing more details during The Child Safeguarding Conference Middle East Our vision for this conference is to raise awareness and knowledge within the Middle East and beyond on how we can protect our children together.

Our aim is for our community to gain knowledge, build confidence and improve the lives of the children that are placed in your care by driving the UAE Child Protection Agenda.

To learn more about our event or to sponsor The Child Safeguarding

Conference Middle East contact sponsorship@csc-me.com

Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Reem Al Hashimy DISCUSS SUSTAINABILITY AT EXPO 2020

Credit CNN’s Connect The World With Becky Anderson

In an interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson, Coldplay’s Chris Martin discussed the band’s commitment to sustainability and protecting the environment after a performance at Expo 2020 in Dubai.

Martin was joined by UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Expo 2020 Director General Reem Al Hashimy who spoke about how Expo’s sustainability goals align with the band’s, “Coldplay does so many good things for the environment and for the planet and that's what we've tried to do at Expo, is really design all of our programs around people and planet. And that's why 192 countries have come here.”

Martin emphasised the links between Expo and the band, saying that both were working towards sustainable targets, “I think there's a link with what Reem and Expo are trying to do and us, is that we're trying to prove that being more eco-friendly can be profitable. So that those businesses or people that always say, well, we can't afford to go clean or go green, that we can prove that well actually you can.”

The Coldplay frontman also discussed the band’s upcoming tour and their plans to stop releasing studio albums in 2025.