Egypt Passes “Social Media” Law
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Egypt’s parliament passed a law this week which will allow the state to take action against social media accounts and journalists caught spreading “fake news”.
The law dictates that social media accounts and blogs that have more than 5000 followers will be considered as media outlets which will be subject to prosecution for publishing misinformation or incitement to break the law. It also prohibits the creation of websites without first getting a license from the Supreme Council.
Critics of the law expressed their disappointment in the approval, and said that it will give legal basis to the government’s crack down on dissent and extend its control over social media.
Source: Reuters