Digital Wellbeing pact program

Childrenʼs Digital Wellbeing Pact

At the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA), our vision is that every young child flourishes in a safe, family‑friendly environment. The Children’s Digital Wellbeing Pact turns this vision into action-uniting technology companies, educators, parents, and policymakers to create age‑appropriate, secure, and enriching online experiences for children aged 0-8. In line with the Year of Community, the Pact was signed during the World Government Summit 2025, with national leadership in attendance and major technology and telecom partners on board.

Together, we shape a safer digital future for every child.

Become a signatory

Objectives

Protect Children Online

Establish and maintain safe, age-appropriate digital spaces that reduce risks and empower parents with tools and knowledge.

Minimise Harmful Content

Implement robust safeguards to prevent exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and harmful design features.

Champion Children's Digital Rights

Uphold privacy, security, and responsible digital citizenship, aligned with UAE child-rights expectations and global best practices.

Core Principles

Prevent Harm

No feature or service should foreseeably cause physical or psychological harm.

Protect Data

Childrenʼs data privacy and security come first-always.

Transparency & Accountability

Clear reporting and continuous improvement, including annual transparency updates.

Future-Proof Partnership

Collaborate to address emerging risks (e.g., AI, immersive tech) through safety-by-design.

Prevent Harm

No feature or service should foreseeably cause physical or psychological harm.

Protect Data

Childrenʼs data privacy and security come first-always.

Transparency & Accountability

Clear reporting and continuous improvement, including annual transparency updates.

Future-Proof Partnership

Collaborate to address emerging risks (e.g., AI, immersive tech) through safety-by-design.

How the Pact Works

Sign & Commit

Join the Pact and nominate a Digital Safety Officer.

Assess & Improve

Conduct a child-impact risk assessment and publish a 12-month action plan.

Design for Safety

Default to high-safety settings and age-appropriate design;

avoid dark patterns.

Engage Families

Provide parents with clear tools, dashboards, and plain-language guidance.

Report & Evolve

Share an annual Child Safety Transparency Report and participate in a voluntary peer review.

Download the Signatory Starter Kit (PDF)

Sign & Commit

Join the Pact and nominate a Digital Safety Officer.

Assess & Improve

Conduct a child-impact risk assessment and publish a 12-month action plan.

Design for Safety

Default to high-safety settings and age-appropriate design;

avoid dark patterns.

Engage Families

Provide parents with clear tools, dashboards, and plain-language guidance.

Report & Evolve

Share an annual Child Safety Transparency Report and participate in a voluntary peer review.

Download the Signatory Starter Kit (PDF)

Sponsorship & Partnership

For Partners

Why join: Recognised participation; co-design safety-by-default features; access insights from Abu Dhabiʼs early childhood ecosystem; contribute to annual transparency benchmarks.

What to expect: Nominate a Digital Safety Officer, complete a child-impact risk assessment, set default-on safety, publish an annual Child Safety Transparency Report.

For Parents & Educators

• Use platform safety defaults and parental tools.

• Co-view and discuss content to build healthy digital habits.

• Balance daily routines: play, sleep, movement.

Explore more resources on eca.gov.ae

Transparency & Progress

Annual reporting and peer review help measure impact. Indicative KPIs include: % of child users on default-on safety, time-to-action on child-harm reports, data minimisation results, and caregiver reach across Abu Dhabi.

Year 1 Transparency Report: coming soon

FAQs

The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) is a government entity, based in Abu Dhabi, that supports holistic early childhood development. We do this by developing policies and laws, informing decision-making through research and transforming behavior.

General & Complaints