Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 17 September 2026 – TikTok hosted a special edition of its “Family Academy” initiative in Riyadh bringing together parents, civil society organizations, and safety advocates to empower families to navigate the digital world together safely and with confidence.
The event featured a specially curated schedule of engaging sessions. The agenda kicked off with a dynamic panel discussion titled ‘Starting the Conversation: Supporting Teens in Their Digital Lives’ moderated by Muna AbuSulayman, Media professional and UN consultant.
The panel brought together Lubna Alkhudhairy, Program Management Director at the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO); Malak Jaafar, Outreach and Partnerships Manager for the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye at TikTok; and Walaa Aitah, Holistic Balance Consultant and Parenting Coach. The panelists explored how parents, educators, communities and technology platforms can work together to build trust, encourage healthy digital habits and strengthen digital literacy and wellbeing, while ensuring support reflects Saudi culture, values and the everyday realities of families.
The panel was followed by a fireside chat that shed light on the real-life success story of Léa Sfeir, TikTok LIVE content creator and TikTok Safety Advisory Council member, and Linda Al Faisal, host and founder of Linda and vision 2030, Saudi media ambassador, youngest presenter at Joy Awards. The mother-daughter duo showed the audience how two generations can tackle the pitfalls of the digital landscape together.
Malak Jaafar, Outreach and Partnerships Manager for the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye at TikTok, said:“Every family approaches technology differently, but parents share a common desire to feel confident supporting their teens as they navigate their digital lives. Family Academy is about creating space for those conversations and giving families practical tools that can help them make choices together and support safer, healthier digital experiences for teens.”
“We’ve seen how important it is to make sure young people have a voice in conversations about their online safety and wellbeing. That starts with listening to teens, understanding the challenges they face, and giving families practical tools to make healthier, more confident choices together. Initiatives like Family Academy create space for open dialogue and help parents and teens navigate digital life with greater trust and understanding,” said Léa Sfeir, a member of TikTok’s Safety Advisory Council for the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye.
With more than 50 safety and privacy features and settings built into teen accounts by default, TikTok takes an age-appropriate approach to supporting teens on the platform. These include private accounts, content restrictions and a 60-minute daily screen time limit, among other protections. Through tools such as Family Pairing and Wind Down, TikTok gives families additional ways to manage screen time, scheduled breaks, privacy and interactions, while helping teens build healthier digital habits.
Alongside these tools, TikTok continues to invest in platform safety and enforcement. In Q1 2026, TikTok removed more than 2.8 million videos in Saudi Arabia for Community Guidelines violations, with 98.2% removed proactively. Globally, the platform also removed more than 25.7 millionaccounts suspected of belonging to users under 13, reinforcing its efforts to enforce minimum age requirements.
Recognizing that online safety is a shared responsibility, the event also emphasized the importance of collaboration between platforms, parents, and communities to create a safer online environment.
TikTok remains dedicated to providing families with innovative tools, education, and ongoing support, fostering an enriching digital space that encourages creativity, connection, and well-being for all.
For more information on the Family Pairing features, please visit https://support.tiktok.com/en/safety-hc/account-and-user-safety/family-pairing
