UAE: New child safety tech to detect, block cyberbullies, prevent grooming, self-harm

Another upcoming innovation is a breastfeeding monitor that will deliver real-time data on milk intake, helping to address concerns about low supply

Nandini Sircar

Published: Mon 11 Nov 2024, 12:31 PM

Last updated: Mon 11 Nov 2024, 6:52 PM

Two groundbreaking tech innovations aimed at enhancing child safety and breastfeeding support will soon be launched in the UAE.

New smartphone-integrated technology is set to transform online safety for children by filtering harmful content, including encrypted messaging apps while ensuring privacy. At the same time, Coroflo, the world’s first breastfeeding monitor, will provide real-time data on breast milk intake, addressing common concerns about supply.

Unlike typical parental control apps that work as add-ons, Chirp’s technology is embedded directly at the operating system (OS) level. Speaking to Khaleej Times, Rena Maycock, the CEO and founder of Chirp, said, “It alerts parents to potential risks without compromising children’s privacy, giving families the tools to address online threats proactively.

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"Chirp's child protection software for smartphones detects and blocks cyberbullying, grooming, and self-harm content, specifically in messaging apps, and more specifically, in encrypted apps." Maycock explained that it's a solution embedded within the smartphone, making it tamper-resistant and more effective at monitoring encrypted and difficult-to-monitor platforms.

Rena Maycock

“At the moment, parents don’t have a way to protect their children against cyberbullying and grooming because the state-of-the-art parental controls are apps, and those apps share various features. They can block pornography and restrict access to stop your child from becoming addicted to their phone, but none of them deal with cyberbullying and grooming because both of these things generally happen in messaging apps. Apps operate on a peer-to-peer system. So, one can download all the available parental control apps but will never have permission to access data with another app, so they can never deal with that content,” added Maycock.

How does it work?

Therefore, the company has developed a patented modification to the operating system at the kernel level, which is embedded software within the Android smartphone. This modification operates as a core component of the OS, enhancing its functionality.

Chirp-enabled phones will also be able to access all incoming and outgoing data and compare that data against their own AI-driven databases of harmful context.

"Additionally, if children try to send their nude image, it won't allow and instead sends parents an alert and asks them to look at that contact. Also, suppose the child goes onto a browser or into social media and looks for self-harm, like anorexia, bulimia or cutting. In that case, we will intercept that, and we'll let the parent know that your child is expressing an interest in self-harm. 'It's urgent that you do something'."

Why chose UAE market?

Maycock explained they are coming to the UAE because of the significant activity surrounding online safety in the country. Notably, the UAE’s Ministry of Interior plays an active role and is a key member of the Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT).

"The UAE was also awarded a permanent seat on the WePROTECT Global Alliance International Advisory Board, and that's in recognition of security and police work in online child protection. Soon, people will be able to walk into a store in the UAE and ask for a 'safe first phone for my child. '

The company claims to go to market with a 75 per cent detection efficiency, which is human-level detection efficiency.

“Chirp is in Settings alongside Wifi and roaming, so it’s part of the fabric of the device and can’t be deleted or tampered with by tech-savvy teens. Parents can download a provisioning app on their Apple or Android phones, and they can control the settings by adding the DoB of the child, password-protecting it, and linking it to their email address. It’s a very simple process,” added the Irish citizen.

Real-time data on breast milk

Coroflo is an Irish health technology company pioneering innovations in breastfeeding support.

CEO and co-founder of Coroflo, Rosanne Longmore, said, “We offer the world’s first breastfeeding monitor designed to provide precise, real-time data on breast milk intake. So, we see that globally, medical professionals want women to breastfeed their babies for at least up to six months exclusively because that's where the enormous health benefits come for the baby. But we see that about 23 per cent of women in the UAE exclusively breastfeed up to six months, and about 13 per cent in Europe. When you ask women, ‘why are you stopping?’, one of the main reasons globally is the concern regarding low supply."

Rosanne Longmore

The Coro device integrates a patented microflow sensor within a silicone nipple shield. It accurately measures the volume of milk a baby consumes per feeding and sends this data to a smartphone app.

Inspired by a personal story from the company's co-founders, Longmore shares that her colleagues, who are engineers and doctors, faced the challenge of having their first baby, born underweight.

Coro device

"Our innovative design provides parents with valuable insights without disrupting the natural breastfeeding experience, reducing common anxieties around milk supply and empowering mothers with data to make informed feeding choices. So, this is not for every mother. This is especially for mothers who want to breastfeed, and they're about to stop because they're concerned. Therefore, with its precise data, Coro aims to support public health efforts by encouraging breastfeeding, a practice proven to reduce health risks for mothers and infants," added Longmore.

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