Egyptian 'Fake News' Law Threatens Citizens with 5000-plus Followers
Jul 23, 2018
Do you or someone you know lives in Egypt and holds an account on Facebook, Twitter, or/and other social media platforms with more than 5000 followers? If yes, your account can be censored, suspended and is subject to prosecution for promoting or spreading the fake news through social media platforms. On July 16, the Egyptian parliament approved a new law that classifies a personal social media account, blog or website with more than 5,000 followers as media outlets, allowing the state to block social media accounts and penalize journalists for publishing fake news. Social media networks are no doubt a quick and powerful way to share information and ideas, but not everything shared on Facebook or Twitter is true. Fake news is all around us, and every country is finding its own new ways to tackle this issue. Over the past the year, fake news or misinformation has emerged as a primary issue on social media platforms, seeking to influence millions of people with wrong propaga...
