The Child Digital Safety Forum discusses the role of social media platforms in protecting future generations

Abu Dhabi, 9 January / WAM / The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department concluded the activities of the “Child Digital Safety” Forum, which was held under the slogan “Towards a safe and sustainable digital environment for future generations,” by discussing the institutional and societal dimensions of child protection in the digital space, which contributes to consolidating institutional integration and raising community awareness of the legislation developed with the entry into force of Federal Decree Law No. 26 of 2025 regarding child digital safety.

The second day of the forum, whose sessions were moderated by Counselor Hassan Al Hammadi, Director of the Public Prosecutions Department in Abu Dhabi, via the virtual platform of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Academy, witnessed a review of a number of topics related to child security in the digital space, the roles of government agencies and social media platforms, in addition to the relevant legal and legislative dimensions.

His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity for the UAE Government, reviewed a working paper on “Cybersecurity in the digital environment and its role in child protection,” in which he addressed the most prominent cyber challenges targeting children, and the importance of building an integrated preventive system that relies on modern technologies, supportive legislation, and institutional coordination among the competent authorities.

Dr. Fatima Al Kaabi, Vice President of the National Commission for Human Rights, also discussed in her paper “The extent to which the Child Digital Safety Law is compatible with international standards for children’s rights in the digital environment,” the human rights framework of the UAE law, and the extent of its consistency with relevant international agreements and standards, in order to achieve a balance between protecting children and preserving their rights in the digital environment.

The forum sessions touched on the responsibilities of digital platforms, where Dr. Ahmed Abdel Zaher, the legal advisor in the technical office of the Undersecretary of the Judicial Department, reviewed a working paper on “The Role of Social Media Companies in Protecting Children’s Rights,” in which he addressed the legal frameworks regulating the work of digital platforms, mechanisms for compliance with national legislation, and technical protection tools intended for children.

For his part, Dr. Mahmoud Muslim, a journalist and member of the Egyptian Senate, presented a paper entitled “Children’s Digital Protection in the Arab Region/From Prevention to Immunity,” during which he focused on the importance of moving from ban and prohibition policies to consolidating the concepts of digital awareness and immunity among children and families, and the role of educational and media institutions in supporting this trend.

In a working paper entitled “The Responsibility of Artificial Intelligence Platforms for Crimes Committed against Children,” Colleen Ottowell, a former appellate judge and former prosecutor in Ashtabula County, Ohio, discussed the legal framework for the responsibility of platforms based on artificial intelligence technologies for crimes targeting children in the digital environment, the mechanisms for holding them accountable, and ways to enforce the legal obligations imposed on them, in a way that enhances the protection of children’s rights and keeps pace with rapid technical developments.

At the conclusion of the forum sessions, Dr. Sami Al-Toukhi, Director of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Academy, reviewed the legal framework regulating dealing with major technology companies, stressing the importance of moving towards consolidating the concept of “digital judicial sovereignty” in a way that keeps pace with the nature of cross-border digital crimes and enhances the protection of children in the digital environment. He pointed out that the new law represents an advanced legislative model and sets clear obligations on digital platforms, thus strengthening the UAE’s position as a leading global model in this field.

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