Topic: 2025 – Protecting and Empowering Youth in Digital Spaces
Country: Egypt
Delegate Name: Amelia Hewitt
The internet is more accessible than ever nowadays, with the impact of online environments on modern youth’s lifestyles, development, and behaviors becoming increasingly prominent. As children spend more time on digital media it allows them to be vulnerable to sexual exploitation, personal information exposure, violent content, abuse, and misinformation that can easily influence them. Such harmful effects have been a long-time concern.
The nation of Egypt has established previous programs and organizations in order to protect young children’s rights and privacy along with their safety as the internet evolves. It’s especially important with the introduction of AI, according to “Keeping Children Safe Online” an article from UNICEF, AI is a powerful tool that is able to shape children’s digital interactions and choices; however, it also adds to the additional danger that the internet possess, “It has never been easier for perpetrators to contract and extort children. Online perpetrators may be someone a child knows or a stranger. They often attempt to earn the child’s trust (or the trust of a caregiver) before manipulating victims into sharing sexually explicit videos or images.” AI also allows sexual exploitation of children to be done with a simple image of a child’s face being shared allowing AI to generate inappropriate content of them with just a click of a button.
There are many ways to protect children on the digital web by having social media bans, having a strict website, and enforcing strict age guidelines.
Egypt believes in order to protect youth in digital spaces a combination of educating both families and children while also strengthening the digital safety laws and AI regulation by implementing more stricter laws. As a nation we support the use of AI technology to help build a stronger system that has children protection features. Partnering with other international organizations like UNICEF and UNODC to share technology and tools, nations can enhance their reporting systems and educational campaigns that focus more on preventing online exploitation. In conclusion, Egypt believes that the digital world has many benefits but also is a risk for young people, especially with the rise of social media and AI. Ensuring children’s protection requires better education and strong laws. Egypt believes that the global community can ensure all children can browse the internet confidently and safely.
Sources
https://www.unicef.org/protection/keeping-children-safe-online
https://www.unicef.org/innovation/stories/protecting-childrens-rights-in-digital-environments
