Internet & Online Safety · Egypt
Internet & Online Safety - Egypt
Egypt regulates the internet through comprehensive statutes that, in practice, function as instruments of heavy state control rather than a rights-based online-safety regime. Law 175/2018 lets authorities block any site deemed a threat to 'national security' or the 'national economy' and mandates 180-day data retention, while Law 180/2018 treats social-media accounts with 5,000+ followers as media outlets subject to SCMR licensing and blocking. Hundreds of websites — including independent news outlets — have been blocked, and Freedom House rates Egypt's internet 'Not Free.'
Law 175/2018 (Art. 7) empowers investigating authorities to order ISPs to block Egyptian or foreign websites whose content is deemed a threat to national security or the national economy, with limited 7-day appeal rights (Art. 8).
Article 2 of Law 175/2018 obliges telecom/ISP providers to retain user data, metadata and IP information for 180 days and make it available to security authorities, underpinning extensive state surveillance.
Law 180/2018 deems any personal social-media account or blog with 5,000+ followers a 'media outlet' that must be licensed by the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, which can suspend or block accounts for 'fake news,' incitement, or content against public order/morals.
Hundreds of websites (the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression cites ~405) have been blocked; recent cases include Cairo 24 (Nov 2024) and Zawia3 (Feb 2025), and the SCMR has denied licenses to independent outlets such as Fakartany.
Websites and qualifying accounts must obtain SCMR licenses (reportedly ~EGP 50,000 for sites; higher for platforms), and the cybercrime law assigns legal responsibility for web-page content, exposing operators to criminal penalties.
Personal Data Protection Law No. 151/2020 governs online platforms' handling of personal data; its Executive Regulations took effect 1 November 2025 with a 12-month grace period (full enforcement by 31 Oct 2026) and require PDPC licensing, but no dedicated child age-verification online-safety law exists.
Machine-assisted translation · verified 5/23/2026 · orientation, not legal advice. English version →