The Abu Dhabi Legal and Community Awareness Centre ("Masouliya") of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) delivered an awareness raising lecture for employees in government agencies entitled "Protecting our Children on the Internet", as part of its outreach campaign for parents on the dangers of cybercrime under the slogan "Stay Safe", to disseminate legal awareness among groups in society about these crimes in order to protect the children’s lives, especially in today’s context marked by the widespread use of social media.

The campaign aims to educate parents on how to protect their children from cybercrime and prevent them from becoming victims or offenders. To this end, the Centre uses modern technological means such as social media platforms, radio stations and television channels. It also gives lectures at schools, universities and government agencies.

The conference focused on strategies and procedures for protecting children when they go online, as well as general rules to be implemented for their safety, including spending enough time with them to teach them appropriate behaviour when logged on to cyberspace, checking credit card bills and looking for extra charges, dealing seriously with any type of harassment reported by the child, being aware of their passwords, avoiding posting personal photographs and minimising personal information online, refraining from meeting in person anyone they meet on the web, activating the safety settings available on social media platforms and choosing age-appropriate programmes for children.

The lecture also addressed the legal sanctions resulting from cybercrimes and cyber blackmailing, and shed light on the causes and factors that cause members of society to fall victim to cyber blackmailers, and the risks associated with the misuse of social media websites. In addition, the lecturer discussed the legal liability of the offender in accordance with Federal Decree Law No. 34 of 2021 on Combatting Rumours and Cybercrimes, presenting many practical examples from the files of cases submitted to the courts in Abu Dhabi.

It is worth noting that the campaign conducted by “Masouliya” Centre in cooperation and partnership with Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), a number of universities, the media, and relevant government agencies, includes delivering a series of sensitisation lectures in schools and universities, in addition to promoting awareness on various social media platforms.

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