Egypt’s MCIT Launches Nationwide SMS Campaign to Promote Digital Safety and Online Awareness

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT)  has launched a nationwide SMS campaign to promote digital awareness across Egyptian society and introduce “Wa3i.net”. The platform is designed to promote online safety and privacy and provides guidance on safe internet and digital application use, with a particular focus on protecting children online.

The campaign forms part of MCIT’s ongoing efforts to encourage the safe and responsible use of the internet. It is carried out in collaboration between the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) and mobile network operators (MNOs), with NTRA sending out awareness-raising text messages to citizens, covering topics related to family online safety.

The messages address several topics, including encouraging an open dialogue about the digital challenges children may encounter, understanding how they engage with the digital world, setting rules and guidelines for safe internet use. They also focus on protecting online data and privacy, addressing digital risks such as cyberbullying and online extortion, and promoting positive digital behavior.

The messages also direct families to the “Wa3i.net” platform where they can access diverse awareness-raising and interactive content tailored for children, adolescents, youth, parents, and teachers. The platform presents simplified content categorized by age group and offers participation in knowledge-based competitions that help promote a safer digital environment.

These efforts come amid the increasing use of the internet, smartphones, social media, and online gaming, alongside digital risks such as cyberbullying, online exploitation, exposure to inappropriate content, and unsafe sharing of personal data. This makes digital awareness a key requirement for protecting children and young people and helping them use technology safely and responsibly.

Wa3i.net is one of the main tools supporting the implementation of MCIT’s Digital Citizenship and Online Safety initiative, which seeks to strengthen digital awareness among all segments of society and broaden access to specialized content on digital safety and child online protection. The platform helps sustain the initiative’s impact by providing a trusted digital resource with a variety of awareness-raising and interactive materials that promote a culture of digital citizenship.