UAE Ministry of Interior Child Protection Centre: First Government Authority to Receive Facebook Blue Badge

The Ministry of Interior's Child Protection Centre’s Facebook page has been awarded the "blue badge" as an authenticity check, making it the first government authority in the Middle East and North Africa to receive this prestigious mark. Such a verified badge helps position the centre’s page among recommended profiles, increase the numbers of like and followers and allows the MoI Child Protection Centre to interact with a bigger number of community members on children safety and security issues. Major General Nasser Lakhrebani Al Nuaimi, Secretary General of the Office of HH Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, praised this achievement, which embodies the instructions given by Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, to transform the UAE into "a civilisation hub and a role model in the region for child protection and security." He also stressed the UAE's commitment to pursue the efforts to allow children of the UAE and the world to achieve the optimal use of modern technologies in the best possible means. He said: "Since launching its Facebook page in cooperation with the Security Media Department at the General Secretariat of the Office of H.H. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, the MoI Child Protection Centre has endeavoured to develop interaction and communication with the public through social networking sites such as Facebook, to achieve the goals and enhance prevention and protection of society members in general and children in particular." For his part, Lieutenant Colonel Faisal Mohammed Al Shimmari, Director of the Ministry of Interior's Child Protection Centre, explained that the "blue badge" mark means the account is genuine and authenticated by Facebook, thus allowing followers to ascertain the identity of their followings is authentic. "This badge allows the MoI Child Protection Centre’s Facebook page stand out from fake account or profiles in its name," he added. Facebook grants this blue badge as a proof of the account's identity validation, which helps users to ascertain that celebrities, journalists, government officials, popular brands and businesses as having an authentic identity. This feature will also help Facebook users to find official pages of celebrities or companies easily. The MoI Child Protection Centre’s Twitter account was also authenticated, which allows members of the public and followers to verify the account's authenticity. The Security Media Department at the General Secretariat of the Office of H.H. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior indicated that receiving Facebook's blue badge enhances trust in the Ministry of Interior and its constant keenness to improve interaction with the public through official and approved communication channels to prevent fraudulent attempts against the public in cooperation with Facebook officials. This would also help boost awareness levels in the field of child protection through direct communication with relevant entities, and prevent any attempts to defame the page. It is worth mentioning that accounts verified by Facebook include the UNICEF, the INTERPOL, the US Air Force, the US Department of Defence, the FBI and the US National Guard. To communicate with the MoI's Child Protection Centre on Facebook, you may search for @SafeChildUAE, in addition to the centre’s accounts on Twitter and Instagram by following @SafeChildUAE, which refers to the centre’s role in enhancing protection of UAE children. Members of the public can also visit the Child Protection Centre’s website on http://moi-cpc.gov.ae/ to get acquainted with the centre’s various and diverse tasks, such as educating the public; preparing recommendations regarding policies and laws related to children's safety and security in areas of transportation; construction; child bullying; child labour; monitoring individuals that pose a risk to children and the internet. – Emirates News Agency,