Egypt’s parliament has approved a tough new law to regulate social media, raising fears that it could curb dissent against President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi’s regime.
The law states that social media users who have more than 5,000 followers could be placed under the supervision of Egypt’s Supreme Council for Media Regulations.
The council would be authorised to suspend or block any personal account which “publishes or broadcasts fake news or anything inciting violating the law, violence or hatred”, AFP news agency quotes the law as saying.
This would cover websites, blogs and personal accounts, it adds.
Some rights groups see the law – which still has to be approved by Mr. Sisi – as an aggressive attempt to restrict social media, which remains one of the few remaining outlets for free expression in Egypt, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The law – along with other media-related laws – would legalize “mass censorship and step up the assault on the right to freedom of expression in Egypt”, the US-based newspaper quotes Amnesty International’s Najia Bounaim as saying.
Domestic and international human rights groups regularly criticise violations of freedom of expression by President Sisi’s government.
More than 30 journalists are currently behind bars in Egypt — which ranks 161st out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Platforms such as Twitter and Facebook have become one of the last forums for public debate in Egypt since a November 2013 ban on all but police-approved gatherings.
More than 500 websites have so far been blocked, according to the Association of Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE).
In June, lawmakers passed a law on cyber-crime that allows authorities to block any website or account that threatens Egypt’s national security or economy.
Those who administer such websites face jail time or fines.
