Egypt has instructed social media platforms to stop creating or making available separate personal accounts for children below the age of 13, according to Masrawy. The measure is presented as a safeguard for minors online.
Masrawy's headline frames the step as an obligation on platforms rather than a voluntary policy. The report does not spell out which platforms are covered, how the restriction will be enforced, or when it takes effect.
Coverage of the decision has centered on child protection in the digital space. Arabic-language outlets, including Al Arabiya, described the move as a ban on accounts for children under 13 on social networking sites, tying it to efforts to protect them.
Commentary published alongside the news has stressed that rules alone are not enough. Sharif Aref said shielding children from social media harms requires broad public awareness, according to Youm7. Khaled Abdel Aziz described protecting children in the digital environment as a shared responsibility of the state and the family, Al-Shorouk reported. Fahmy said safeguarding children online is a national duty and that President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's directives set a framework for addressing the challenges of the era, according to the Al-Ahram portal.
Those remarks indicate the account restriction is being discussed as one part of a wider approach that also involves families and public awareness, though the reporting available does not detail any accompanying programs or campaigns.
What to watch next: whether Egyptian authorities publish the formal text of the requirement, name the platforms it applies to, and set out how age verification and compliance will be handled.