Opinion Piece by Mashood Ahmad, CEO – Gigabit IQ
Parental controls for online safety are no longer optional—they’re essential. As online harms grow more sophisticated, nations need to make firm choices on how to protect their citizens, especially children. Dubai & UAE are setting a bold example, combining strict cyberlaw, early AI education, and telecom-level content controls to shape a safer, smarter digital generation.
As someone who lived in Dubai for over 15 years, worked in the telecom sector, and now leads Gigabit IQ, one of the UK’s safest internet service providers, I’ve penned my thoughts on how both nations are tackling the realities of AI, content safety, and digital parenting.
Now, as a newly appointed member of the ISPA Council Board, I’m committed to helping our industry become more accountable. It’s time we gave UK families the tools and choice to manage their children’s online world—because the risks aren’t going away.
Dubai’s Approach to Online Safety
Dubai’s Federal Decree Law No. 34 of 2021 is one of the most forward-looking frameworks in the world when it comes to cybercrime. It criminalises digital blackmail, disinformation, unauthorised data use, and the promotion of illegal content. What makes it so effective is that it doesn’t just rely on after-the-fact enforcement; it embeds protection across platforms, ISPs, and even apps. (Source)
When I was working in telecoms in the UAE, I witnessed the alignment between regulation and technology. There was clarity. Internet Service Providers were not neutral pipelines—they were seen as active participants in public digital health. That meant filtering harmful content by default, working closely with regulators, and even helping shape education policy.
Here in the UK, our Online Safety Act, introduced in 2023, focuses mainly on regulating platforms. (GOV.UK) It was a vital step forward, but it leaves a major gap: the network layer. ISPs, the providers of internet access, are still largely absent from the regulatory conversation. This is a missed opportunity, especially when we know that home broadband is where most content consumption happens.
Telecom Filtering: What Dubai Requires, UK Ignores
One of the most impactful differences between Dubai and the UK is the presence of telecom-led content filtering. In the UAE, providers like Etisalat and du are required to filter out content considered harmful or culturally inappropriate. These filters operate by default and are enforced at the infrastructure level. It’s not left to families to toggle settings or hunt through user manuals.
In the UK, there are some controls at the network level. Major ISPs do maintain blacklists of illegal websites, and categories like phishing, malware, or abusive content are monitored. However, when it comes to protecting children from inappropriate content, the responsibility is almost entirely pushed onto the family. Parents must log in, activate controls, and navigate complicated dashboards—often with little guidance.
That’s the disconnect. The internet is advancing at rapid, unparalleled pace with the advent of algorithms, AI and content manipulation—yet we are still stuck more than a decade later not providing mandatory guidelines for ISPs. This is why at both the UK ISPA Summit last week in London and the UK Wireless ISP Spring Meeting, I called for ISP safety ratings—so parents can understand how providers rank for online safety across the country.
If we think the Online Safety Act will solve everything, and that online harms will disappear, we’re simply burying our heads in the sand.
AI Education in Schools: A Tale of Two Systems
Beginning in 2025, all UAE public schools will introduce AI education from the age of four. Their approach is structured, national, and deliberate. Children will explore the fundamentals of how machines think, engage with early ethical discussions, and eventually simulate real-world problem-solving using AI tools.
Dubai can make this leap because the environment in which learning takes place is already tightly controlled. Harmful content is filtered at the ISP level, schools operate under government-approved content policies, and children are shielded from the worst of the internet by default.
In the UK, we’ve made some important strides. The Department for Education (DfE) has stepped up with updated guidance for schools on using generative AI responsibly, and the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) statutory guidance explicitly mandates that schools must have appropriate filtering and monitoring systems in place. (KCSIE source)
But while the guidance exists, implementation is inconsistent. Filtering varies widely by school and region. Monitoring systems depend heavily on budgets, local IT support, and school leadership. We’re asking schools to carry the burden while ISPs sit on the sidelines. Unlike Dubai, where ISPs, regulators, and educators work together, our system is still fragmented. Until we fix that, we’ll remain behind.
Our Commitment to Parental Controls for Online Safety
At Gigabit IQ, we made a decision early on that parental controls for online safety wouldn’t be a bolt-on—it would be built-in. That’s why we include FamilyGuard+ as a core feature in our broadband packages. It’s not an upgrade or an extra—it’s standard.
We’ve developed a system that makes it easy for parents to manage their children’s online experience. With just a few taps in our mobile app, families can block inappropriate websites, filter apps like TikTok or Discord, set time limits, and receive real-time alerts. VPN use is restricted, and each child has a personalised profile that adapts as they grow.
But we also know that online safety doesn’t begin and end at home. That’s why we’re working closely with schools and Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) across the UK to spread awareness and provide support. Whether it’s running workshops, offering resources, or simply guiding families through best practices, we’re committed to helping schools become part of the solution.
And because not every family has access to our broadband, we offer FamilyGuard+ as a standalone product. Any household in the UK can subscribe—because protection shouldn’t depend on who your provider is.
👉 Learn more: https://www.gigabitiq.com/familyguard-plus
Why Parental Controls Must Become a UK Standard
Parental controls for online safety must become a national standard. Dubai treats them as such, embedded in law, implemented through ISPs, and supported by schools. In the UK, we’re treating them as optional extras—often out of sight and out of mind.
If we want to give children a safe space to learn, explore, and grow—especially with AI entering their classrooms and lives—we need to give families the right tools. And we need to ensure those tools are delivered where it matters most: at the point of access.
ISPs should not be passive carriers. We should be digital guardians. That’s the role we’ve chosen at Gigabit IQ. And it’s one I hope more of our industry will embrace.
🔐 FamilyGuard+: Built for UK Families needing Parental Controls for Online Safety
At Gigabit IQ, we believe ISPs must take responsibility for parental controls for online safety. That’s why FamilyGuard+ is included in our broadband service—not as an add-on, but a standard.
- Block harmful websites & apps
- Enforce Google/YouTube SafeSearch
- Disable VPN circumvention
- Real-time alerts when kids try to bypass controls
- Profiles tailored by age group
👉 Learn how Safer Internet | Internet Parental Controls – Gigabit IQ gives UK families the controls Dubai already builds in.
