UAE private schools ban VPN apps on campuses and restrict student internet access for 2026-27

Abu Dhabi: Private schools across the country have decided to ban VPN applications on school campuses and prohibit students from accessing private virtual platforms within the school or via its digital networks, unless explicitly authorised for specific educational or administrative purposes. They have also defined the rules for permitted and prohibited use of personal devices on the school network and within its campuses, and during extracurricular activities held outside the school. The schools circulated responsible digital use policies to students, parents, staff and visitors through their official channels, stressing that they have put in place effective programs and systems to protect students from cyber risks. They noted the initiation of implementing appropriate awareness programs for students, to make them aware of cyber risks and the impact of digital habits on their security. This is being done through the application of filtering systems, and through measures to monitor their use of the Internet on school devices, to analyse usage periodically, to identify cybernetic violations and potential negative trends, in addition to forming a team to determine appropriate procedures to support students who develop risky, excessive or illegal digital habits. Four main cyber risks The schools identified four cyber risks that students may face, and schools must ensure they are protected from them. These included: exposure to inappropriate or illegal content, or content that may harm their mental health; exposure to unsafe online communication (such as communicating with users who have fake profiles); online personal behaviour that may harm oneself or others (such as participating in cyberbullying); and fraud and financial risks, such as gambling and phishing. The schools asked parents to monitor their children's use of digital devices outside of school premises and outside of school hours to ensure safe and appropriate digital behaviour. Educators Mohamed Ghoneim, Amani Khurshid, and Sahar Nadi confirmed that the measures to restrict the use of VPN applications within school premises represent a precautionary step to limit students' access to content or platforms that may pose a risk to their digital and psychological safety. They also noted that this was in line with the Cabinet's decision to regulate children's access to social media platforms. At the same time, they pointed out that technical banning alone is not enough to achieve the desired protection, as dealing with cyber risks requires an integrated system that combines filtering tools, monitoring, and continuous awareness, in addition to enhancing students' ability to distinguish between safe and harmful use of technology. They pointed out the importance of making the restrictions clear and public to students and parents, with the exception of legitimate educational and administrative uses, so that preventive measures do not become an obstacle to benefiting from modern technologies in learning. They added that the restriction regulations should be accompanied by work to build a culture of digital responsibility among students, and to promote dialogue with them about the dangers of inappropriate content, bullying, fraud and communication with strangers, in order to form a personal line of defence alongside the technical measures. Parents' involvement is key Social workers and academic advisors Walid Nasri, Samer Mukhtar, Taif Hamed, and Reem Mohi El-Din, indicated that schools are organising introductory meetings this week about the educational and pedagogical plans for the academic year. The meetings give parents the opportunity to listen directly to their child’s class teacher, and to learn about the expectations for the academic year, the details of the curriculum, rules of discipline, behaviour, methods of assessment, the daily routine, and the general expectations related to belonging to the school, within the framework of the effective partnership between the school and the family. This forms an important foundation for the success of students, and contributes to providing a supportive and stimulating educational environment that helps them achieve their best potential during the academic year. They explained that the meetings include emphasising that the responsibility of protecting students from electronic risks does not stop at the school, as the family’s role remains pivotal in monitoring children’s use of devices and digital platforms outside of school hours. The advisors pointed out that effective family control does not mean spying or absolute prohibition, but rather is based on setting clear rules for use, discussing with children continuously the content they are exposed to, and the people they communicate with, and informing them about ways to deal with fake accounts, cyberbullying, phishing and fraud, in addition to stressing the importance of paying attention to any sudden changes in children’s behaviour or digital habits, as