“Immoral content”. Tabitkers' arrests

Over the past few days, the Egyptian authorities arrested at least 10 popular thistlers. The reason was given to violating Egyptian values and publishing immoral content. According to human rights defenders, this is the action of suppressing internet content, aimed at women.

The Egyptian Ministry of the Interior claims that films – covering materials from comedy sketches to cosmetic products and scenes from everyday life – contained “obscene language” and “violated public morality”.

The Egyptian initiative for personal rights (EIPR) believes that this is an attempt to control public discourse, and hence called the authorities to stop prosecuting artists on the basis of “unclear, ethical and classical accusations.”

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From 2020, EIPR has documented the accusation of at least 151 people of “violating Egyptian family values”. Critics also indicate that the last action is aimed at creators from lower social strata, who thanks to social media gained popularity and money.

Tiktok has gained great popularity in Egypt, especially among younger users, becoming the most important social platform to create content and earn on them. It is estimated that in 2024 every third Egyptian (over 41 million people) used Tiktok. For thousands of local influencers, Tiktok is the main source of income. Many of them come from poor environments and use the platform to achieve significant income from advertising and, above all, from gifts received during live broadcast.

The importance of the application goes beyond the financial aspect, and the authoritarian Egyptian authorities, aware of the growing popularity and impact of Tiktok, strive to increase control over the platform and its users. The government is particularly concerned about popular content that pays attention to its decisions or human rights.

Observers suggest that the ambiguity of allegations serves to control the presence of young women in a digital space, where they can gain popularity and financial independence. On the other hand, some users conduct live broadcasts in which they earn on erotic content.

In Egypt, there are also voices that live broadcasts are used to wash money from unknown sources.

On Saturday, the Egyptian parliamentary telecommunications committee gave the Regional Tiktoko management three months to adapt the rules of content regulation to Egyptian socio-cultural norms. The decision is part of a broader trend in Africa, where countries such as Nigeria and Kenya also demand from technological platforms to comply with national regulations and cultural norms. (PAP)

Baj/ JM/