"The Ministry of Interior brandishes the sword of "morality" against "TikTokers."" 6 August 2025

The Egyptian Ministry of Interior has announced the launch of a comprehensive security campaign aimed at several content creators on the TikTok app. As a result of this operation, at least eight individuals have been arrested in the past two days, according to official statements released on the ministry's social media pages... However, it did not address these allegations; instead, it focused on common offenses such as "offending public decency," "threatening family values," and "misusing social media." These are the same charges frequently used to prosecute digital content creators in Egypt...

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights stated in a press release that the recent security crackdown on TikTok content creators marks the peak of a long history of repression that began over five years ago. The organization described this trend as indicative of the state's inherent hostility, as well as that of its security and legal systems, toward such forms of expression. This hostility is rooted in classist, gendered, and moralistic criteria, many of which lack clear legal definitions...According to the initiative's documentation, this campaign has impacted at least 151 individuals across 109 different cases. In some instances, the initiative has provided legal support or directly reviewed the files, although the actual number of affected people may be much higher...

Human rights lawyer Halim Hanish expressed that the recent campaign indicates a deeper crisis in the state's security and political mindset. He stated, "Those who express their opinions at demonstrations are imprisoned, those who complain about prices on TikTok are imprisoned, and those who create content that the authorities do not approve of are imprisoned. It seems the only solution is a security crackdown, even in spaces that are meant for the expression of opinion rather than criminal activity."...In response, MP Ahmed Badawi, who heads the Communications Committee in the House of Representatives, announced in a press statement that the committee had held several meetings with representatives of TikTok in Egypt before the end of the last parliamentary session. The aim of these meetings was to improve the content being published on the platform. He emphasized the state's support for investment in the technology sector. However, he also hinted at the possibility of blocking the platform and enforcing the “cybercrime” law if there was no noticeable improvement...

[Unofficial translation from Arabic to English provided by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]