Parents are being urged to establish clear guidelines, monitor children’s online activity, and reinforce safe digital habits.
Dubai: The Child Safety Organisation, affiliated with the Sharjah Family and Community Council, has warned parents across the UAE about the growing use of delivery and online shopping apps by children.
The organisation said that while such services have become an integral part of daily family life—making it easier to order food, groceries, and other essentials—unsupervised use by children may create safety vulnerabilities at home.
It stressed that convenience should not replace parental supervision, particularly as children increasingly engage with digital platforms involving payments, personal information, and doorstep deliveries.
Children placing orders without parents’ knowledge
According to the organisation, some children are independently using smartphones to order food, toys, or other items without informing their parents. In some cases, they may also try to receive deliveries directly when couriers arrive.
While these actions may seem minor, the organisation warned that they can expose children to situations they are not prepared to handle, including interacting with strangers at the door or making unintended digital purchases.
It emphasised that the concern is not about discouraging the use of technology, but about ensuring that children understand boundaries related to digital spending and household responsibilities.
Creating safe boundaries
In a statement, Hanadi Saleh Al Yafei, Director General of the Child Safety Organisation, said that modern applications now enable children to carry out tasks that were once managed by adults within the household.
“Apps now allow children to make quick decisions that previously passed through the family, such as buying, paying, entering an address, and dealing with someone from outside the home,” Al Yafei said.
She noted that the concern lies in whether children are being given such privileges before they have the maturity and awareness to manage them safely.
“Supervision does not mean preventing children from using technology or treating them with suspicion. It means establishing clear and safe boundaries between what a child can do independently and what should remain under adult oversight.”
Al Yafei added that the safest approach is to introduce children gradually to the digital world.
“Children need to understand that privacy, payment details, home addresses, and digital services require awareness, maturity, and age-appropriate supervision.”
What parents are being advised to do
The organisation has urged families to establish clear rules for using delivery and online shopping apps. It said all online purchases should be made with parental knowledge and approval, with adults present when needed to receive deliveries.
Parents have also been advised to review smartphone settings on children’s devices, avoid saving bank card details, and disable or restrict one-click payment options where possible.
In addition, the organisation recommended enabling purchase notifications and using age-appropriate parental control tools to monitor app usage.
Doorstep safety
A key message in the warning is the importance of teaching children not to open the door to delivery personnel or visitors without parental permission, even when a delivery is expected.
The organisation reiterated the need to educate children on safeguarding personal information, including home addresses, phone numbers, and payment details, which should not be shared without adult approval.
It also noted that children often perceive digital platforms as simple and harmless, without fully understanding the risks of acting independently online or at the doorstep.
Building safer digital habits at home
The Child Safety Organisation has emphasised that its guidance is intended to help families adapt to evolving digital habits, rather than restrict children’s use of technology.
It said that calmly guiding children and setting clear household rules are effective ways to build stronger digital awareness and encourage safer online behaviour in an increasingly connected home environment.
