Those who administer or visit such websites, intentionally or “in error without a valid reason”, can now face jail time and fines. Egyptian lawmakers last month approved another bill that grants the state’s Supreme Council for Media Regulations the right to monitor social media users. Under that legislation, which Sisi has yet to approve, people whose social media accounts have more than 5,000 followers could be placed under supervision. More than 500 websites have already been blocked in Egypt prior to the new law, according to the Cairo-based Association of Freedom of Thought and Expression. Egypt is currently placed 161 out of 180 countries in the press freedom rankings of global media rights organisation Reporters Without Borders.

Source: The Guardian August 18, 2018 13:30 UTC