Homes in UAE: Exploring the Reasons Some Families Prevent Others from Photographing Their Residences
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), parents are taking proactive steps to safeguard their families from privacy breaches and online threats. Umm Rashid, Hajar, and Mahra, three Emirati mothers, are leading the charge in raising awareness and implementing measures to protect their families' digital lives.
Umm Rashid recommends displaying digital rules at home, holding monthly family discussions on online safety, using games and storytelling to teach children, installing monitoring tools, and encouraging open conversations. She also focuses on raising awareness about the long-term impact of sharing photos online.
Hajar is vigilant about her children's digital habits and supports introducing digital literacy in kindergarten and encourages tools to limit screen time. Like Umm Rashid, she emphasizes the importance of open communication and education about online safety.
Mahra, an Emirati mother of two, takes a hands-on approach, limiting her children's digital access. Her children use iPads with restricted messaging to three family contacts, and their games like Roblox and Minecraft are closely monitored. Mahra does not allow her children personal phones or social media access.
These mothers' efforts are not isolated. Families across the UAE are stepping up to make family cybersecurity a collective responsibility. They combine awareness, legal knowledge, and active supervision to safeguard both their homes and online presence.
To ensure a safe digital environment, UAE parents can leverage a combination of digital tools, proactive practices, and awareness of local laws. Using built-in parental controls and third-party apps allows parents to monitor children’s online activity, set screen time limits, filter inappropriate content, track real-time location, and block harmful apps. Examples include Apple’s Screen Time and Google Family Link, which also offer AI-based detection of cyberbullying and suspicious communications.
Establishing open family communication and education about online safety is another key measure. Regular discussions, setting clear digital rules at home, and teaching children through games and storytelling to recognize risks and report concerns help foster a safe digital environment.
Applying cybersecurity best practices such as using VPNs, encouraging strong passwords, keeping software and devices updated, and creating tech-free zones are also essential. However, parents must be cautious about the legal use of VPNs in the UAE.
Understanding and complying with UAE’s privacy and cybercrime laws is crucial. Notably, Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on Combating Rumors and Cybercrimes criminalizes unauthorized handling of personal data with significant penalties. Article 6 of the Decree-Law states that unauthorized handling can result in a minimum of six months in prison and fines between Dh20,000 and Dh100,000.
Mohammed Saqr Al Nuaimi, assistant undersecretary for support services at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre), has stressed the importance of educating domestic workers and family members about the dangers of photographing valuable household items or family members and posting them online. Legal advisor Abdulrahman Al Nabhan warns that unauthorized handling of personal electronic data is a violation of Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on Combating Rumors and Cybercrimes.
In conclusion, these strategies empower UAE parents to actively supervise and safeguard their families against digital threats while respecting privacy and legal requirements in the UAE. Al Nuaimi calls on everyone to be responsible when posting photos on social media to ensure a safe digital environment that protects privacy and prevents potential problems or issues. Mahra emphasizes the importance of parents upgrading their digital knowledge to monitor their children's online activities. Together, these efforts aim to foster a safer digital world for families in the UAE.
[1] Apple Screen Time: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208383 [2] Google Family Link: https://families.google.com/familylink/ [3] AI-based detection of cyberbullying and suspicious communications: https://www.google.com/families/jessica/ [4] VPNs: https://www.vpnmentor.com/vpn/vpn-in-the-uae/
- Umm Rashid suggests creating rules for digital usage at home, introducing monthly family discussions on online safety, using games and storytelling for teaching children about online safety, installing monitoring tools, and encouraging open communication.
- Hajar supports the introduction of digital literacy in kindergarten and encourages tools to limit screen time, while also emphasizing the importance of open communication and education about online safety.
- Mahra, an Emirati mother, limits her children's digital access by restricting messaging to three family contacts, monitoring games, and disallowing personal phones or social media access.
- Parents in the UAE can use digital tools like Apple's Screen Time, Google Family Link, and VPNs to monitor children's online activity, set screen time limits, filter inappropriate content, and block harmful apps, while being mindful of the legal use of VPNs in the UAE.
- Under the UAE's privacy and cybercrime laws, unauthorized handling of personal data is a criminal offense with significant penalties. Educating domestic workers and family members about the risks of posting valuable items or family members online is important to prevent violations of Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on Combating Rumors and Cybercrimes.
