Creators HQ, Meta unveil first-of-its-kind initiative for safer teen social media use
New programme aligns with UAE’s Year of Family 2026 vision
DUBAI – Creators HQ, the first dedicated creators’ hub in the UAE and the Middle East operating under Visioneers, the UAE’s largest content management and development platform, has announced a strategic partnership with Meta to promote digital safety and family protection on Instagram.
The collaboration is the first initiative of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region and seeks to enhance digital awareness among parents while protecting children and teenagers from digital risks and harmful online content.
The announcement coincides with the UAE’s “Year of Family 2026” initiative, which aims to strengthen family bonds, support family stability and prosperity, and reinforce authentic societal values. The partnership reflects wider efforts to build safer digital environments while encouraging healthier and more responsible engagement with social media platforms.
The strategic alliance aims to provide families, content creators, schools and communities with practical tools and knowledge to create safer online experiences for younger users. It also seeks to strengthen digital protection measures while encouraging responsible and safe use of technology.
Event series
As part of the collaboration, Creators HQ and Meta will launch a series of initiatives beginning with the “Parents Assembly with Instagram”, designed to help parents build healthy and safe relationships between their children and social media platforms. The initiative will also introduce families to family-oriented content creation practices on Instagram and support the development of digital communities built on confidence and responsibility.
The programme seeks to strengthen a safer digital environment that supports family stability and addresses increasing concerns surrounding children’s and teenagers’ interaction with digital platforms. Organisers plan to spotlight protection features and parental supervision tools while promoting awareness of positive and secure Instagram usage.
Particular focus will be placed on Teen Accounts, Instagram’s most extensive safety update for teenagers to date, alongside supervision tools that allow parents to monitor and better understand their children’s online experiences.
Safety tools
The initiative will also highlight Meta’s latest developments in AI-powered age verification technologies. These tools use contextual analysis across profiles alongside visual content technologies to identify accounts that may belong to underage users and proactively enhance protections for them.
The event programme will feature Meta specialists and will bring together more than 50 content creators specialising in family-focused content. Discussions are expected to address key issues related to online safety, shielding teenagers from inappropriate content, strengthening privacy and cybersecurity, and helping parents understand available tools to supervise their children’s digital activities.
The sessions are designed to support a safer and more balanced online experience at a time when families are increasingly navigating rapidly changing digital environments.
Focus on teenagers
Moon Baz, Director of Global Partnerships for Africa, the Middle East and Türkiye at Meta, highlighted the importance of collaboration with Creators HQ and content creators across the region in advancing digital safety efforts.
She said: “At Meta, we are committed to easing the burden on parents by providing effective tools that enable them to supervise their children’s digital experiences. This is why we launched Instagram Teen Accounts, our biggest update to teen safety to date, which includes built-in protections that automatically limit exposure to inappropriate content and unwanted contact.”
Baz added that the partnership with Creators HQ aims to empower families and content creators with greater understanding of these tools and support safer online experiences for teenagers.
She also noted that the broader programme seeks to improve digital awareness, provide parents with practical resources and help protect teenagers from misleading content while supporting their digital wellbeing.
Digital awareness
Hussein Al Atoli, Director of the New Media Academy, said the UAE continues to establish an advanced model for creating safer digital environments for families. He noted that partnerships with major global technology platforms contribute significantly towards building sustainable digital awareness that benefits younger generations.
He said: “We seek to equip families with the knowledge and tools needed to protect their children in the digital world through these impactful initiatives, while strengthening a culture of conscious and responsible social media use in line with rapid digital transformations and in a way that preserves authentic societal values.”
Al Atoli added that organising the “Parents Assembly with Instagram” demonstrates Creators HQ’s continuing efforts to promote responsible use of meaningful content and strengthen partnerships with leading international platforms.
The event programme will also include dedicated sessions bringing together parents and content creators, alongside panel discussions examining the challenges of parenting in an increasingly digital world. The initiative places particular attention on encouraging healthy online habits and raising awareness of Teen Account tools as efforts continue to build safer digital communities across the region.
The assembly forms part of the wider commitment shared by Creators HQ and Meta to strengthen digital awareness culture and support the creation of safer online environments for children and teenagers through partnerships that connect platforms, families and creators.