RIYADH: A recent survey by Kaspersky has revealed that 57% of children aged 11 to 17 in Saudi Arabia deliberately hide their online activities from parents and adults.
The study, conducted by Toluna across five countries including Saudi Arabia, highlighted that 25% of these children set passwords on all devices, 14% regularly delete their browsing history, and 16% go online when parents aren’t around.
Among the reasons for secrecy, 58% of teens admitted they don’t want their parents to know how much time they spend online, while 38% conceal the websites they visit.
Alarmingly, 25% hide visits to websites with aggressive or adult content, and 33% admitted to watching adult-targeted material.
Seifallah Jedidi, Head of Consumer Channel for Kaspersky in the Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa, emphasized the importance of open communication between parents and children.
“Building trust and having honest conversations about digital habits is more effective than strict surveillance,” he said.
Jedidi added that parental controls are a useful safety measure, not a sign of distrust. They help restrict access to harmful content, prevent risky downloads, and safeguard personal data.
To support families, Kaspersky recommends:Staying informed on cyber threats and monitoring online activity, Engaging children in discussions about digital risks, Installing trusted security software to block malicious downloads and Using tools like Kaspersky Safe Kids to manage screen time and content access.
The survey sample included 10,000 participants (5,000 parent-child pairs) from Türkiye, South Africa, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
