A Step Toward Digital Empowerment for Families
By: Pakinam Khaled
TikTok, the world’s leading platform for short-form video, hosted a special edition of its “Family Academy” initiative in Cairo bringing together parents, creators, civil society organizations, and safety advocates to empower families with the tools and knowledge needed to engage safely and responsibly in the digital world.
The event featured the participation of leading civil society organizations, including HarassMap and Speak Up, who shared strategies to combat online harassment, misinformation, and cyberbullying. Discussions focused on how families can respond effectively to digital challenges and cultivate a safer, more supportive online environment for young users.
A featured panel discussion, “Youth Voices for Safe and Inclusive Communities,” brought together Malak Jaafar, MENAT Outreach and Partnerships Manager at TikTok, and Ahmed Hegab, MENA Regional Manager at HarassMap. The session explored barriers to reporting harassment and emphasized the importance of digital empowerment for girls and young women in the region.
“We believe digital safety begins with awareness and dialogue. Our goal is to support parents with the tools needed to help their teens build positive online habits. TikTok’s safety features are designed not to restrict, but to encourage open conversations and empower parents to support their teens’ digital journeys” remarked Malak Jaafar, MENAT Outreach and Partnership Manager at TikTok.
Ahmad Hegab, MENA Regional Manager at HarassMap added "Since the start of our operations in the Arab region, we have witnessed a significant shift in community awareness regarding harassment and digital safety. In light of this, emphasizing proactive and preventive measures is essential to staying ahead of potential threats. TikTok plays a vital role in this by detecting and removing any harmful content before it spreads after it is posted on the platform, contributing to the prevention of digital violence rather than merely addressing its consequences after the fact."
The event also featured a heartfelt discussion with popular TikTok content creators Beba and Sherry, a mother-daughter duo who shared how their content journey on the platform has brought them closer together. Additionally, the Speak Up initiative hosted an interactive workshop on combating cyberbullying and misinformation, as well as building digital resilience.
During the event, TikTok showcased its latest digital safety updates, including over 15 new features, reflecting its ongoing commitment to promoting constructive dialogue between parents and teens and encouraging responsible digital behavior. Many of these enhancements build on Family Pairing, a feature launched five years ago, which continues to evolve with input from families and digital safety experts. Key enhancements include:
• Time Away: Allows parents to decide when it's best for their teens to take a break (e.g., during dinner, study time, or bedtime). Teens can request extra time, but parents make the final decision.
• Privacy Controls: Parents can now view who their teen follows and who follows them on TikTok, along with accounts their teen has blocked. They can also manage who sees their teen’s content, who can interact with them, and who can send them direct messages.
• Wind Down Mode: Teens under 18 who use the app after 10 PM will receive a full-screen reminder accompanied by calming music to help them unwind. A second reminder follows, harder-to-dismiss, full-screen prompt will appear if they continue scrolling.
• Screen Time Management: Parents can now set personalized reminders for teens to limit app usage throughout the day.
TikTok also highlighted its STEM Feed, which provides engaging educational material in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics across more than 100 countries. Through these initiatives, TikTok continues to reinforce its role in fostering a safe, enriching, and creative digital environment for families, one grounded in mutual understanding and positive exploration.
