A Sharjah-based child safety authority has called on parents to establish clear household rules governing children’s use of food delivery and online shopping applications, warning that minors may not fully understand when adult intervention is required.
The Child Safety Organization, under the Sharjah Family and Community Council, said in a statement on Monday that children are increasingly able to access delivery platforms through smartphones, sometimes placing orders without parental knowledge.
It urged families to ensure that children do not make purchases, process payments, or share home addresses via delivery or e-commerce apps without prior approval.
The organization noted that some children may order food, toys or other items independently and attempt to receive deliveries themselves upon arrival, raising safety and privacy concerns.
Parents were advised to review app settings on devices used by children, disable saved payment details and one-click purchases where possible, enable transaction alerts, and activate age-appropriate parental control features.
They were also urged to teach children not to share personal information such as home addresses, phone numbers, or other sensitive details through apps or digital communications without family consent.
The group said children should be made aware that ease of access does not equate to permission to act independently, particularly when financial transactions and home deliveries are involved.
The advisory comes amid the growing integration of delivery services into daily household routines, as families increasingly rely on apps for food orders and shopping. However, the organization warned that unsupervised use by children can lead to unintended purchases, privacy risks, and safety issues related to receiving deliveries.
Hanadi Saleh Al Yafei, Director General of the Child Safety Organization, said digital platforms now enable children to make quick decisions that were previously filtered through parental oversight.
“The issue is not only how children use apps, but also what they order or receive, and whether they are given privileges before they have the awareness and experience to manage them safely,” she said.
Al Yafei stressed that supervision should not be seen as restriction, but as guided use of technology within safe boundaries.
“It means creating safe and clear boundaries between what a child can do independently and what should remain under adult oversight,” she said, adding that families should monitor both online transactions and the receipt of deliveries.
She also emphasized that digital access should be introduced gradually, noting that delaying smartphone use where possible remains one of the most effective ways to build children’s digital awareness and safety habits.
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