"Parliamentary Digital Economy Committee seeks to prepare a draft law proposal" "Necessity of concerted efforts to limit the spread of harmful sites and dangerous games"

In light of increasing public demands, and as a result of negative consequences that have affected Jordanian society in terms of behavioral and educational impacts on younger age groups, discussions have been held on regulating access to certain digital platforms, especially those containing inappropriate content or electronic games that may pose risks to children and adolescents. This move comes amid being described by MPs in the committee as an "urgent necessity" requiring a clear legislative framework to protect users, particularly minors, from these risks.

"Preparing a draft proposal"

The Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, Dr. Mouayyad Al-Alauneh, confirmed that the committee is working to prepare a draft law proposal aimed at protecting age groups, especially minors, from the risks of platforms containing inappropriate content and dangerous electronic games.

Al-Alauneh noted, during his chairing of the committee meeting on Wednesday dedicated to discussing the blocking of harmful websites and games for children, that the committee has the necessary justifications on which it relies in preparing this draft, amid the growing need to regulate the digital environment.

For their part, MPs Noor Abu Ghoush, Hussein Kreishan, Hael Ayash, Hamza Al-Toubasi, Suleiman Al-Kharabsheh, Hamed Al-Rahamineh, and Adnan Mashouqah, emphasized the difficulty of blocking all unsafe websites, especially given the ability to access them through alternative applications and platforms.

They stressed the need for concerted efforts to limit the spread of inappropriate content websites and dangerous games, affirming that enacting legislation to regulate this field is no longer a luxury but an urgent necessity, given its negative effects on children’s health and awareness.

They also emphasized the importance of strengthening digital education among students, especially minors, as a fundamental step for prevention and protection, alongside the role of family and school in awareness and follow-up.

Security warnings

In this context, Public Security Directorate previously warned about the dangers of some electronic games that may appear suitable for children on the surface but contain highly sensitive psychological content, including the game Doki Doki Literature Club, which has recently spread across the internet and video-sharing platforms.

The directorate confirmed that the game initially appears as a cartoon-style story set in a school, but gradually turns into dark psychological content, including scenes and topics such as depression, self-harm, suicide, and psychological disorders, making it unsuitable for children.

"Deceptive nature"

The directorate explained that the danger of this game lies in its deceptive nature, as its cartoon design and attractive colors may encourage children to try it without realizing its true content and psychological impact.

It noted that exposure to such content may cause fear, anxiety, and stress among children and adolescents, and may affect their psychological and daily behavior.

The Public Security Directorate urged parents to prevent downloading such games on smartphones and electronic devices, to monitor everything that is downloaded or viewed, and to enhance dialogue with their children about safe internet and gaming use.

It reaffirmed its continued awareness efforts to protect children from digital risks and promote safe technology use, calling for reporting any content that may pose a threat to children’s safety or psychological well-being, noting that it had previously warned about such types of digital content and their negative impact, especially on younger age groups.