Can the Egyptian government end the policy of mass surveillance?

Prepared and written by the Research Unit in the Association for Freedom of Thought & Expression

Ten years after the 25 January revolution, during which Internet services were cut off all over Egypt, according to Article 67 of the Telecommunication Regulation Law No. 10 of 2003, the government – especially the security services – is still imposing mass surveillance on the Internet, thus breaching public and private privacies in the digital sphere.

These practices have been [used] over the years, based on specific legal texts or completely outside the framework of law.  This comes as the Internet has … increasingly … been a last window for expressing opinions about public affairs.

According to the summary report on communications and information technology indicators issued by the Ministry of Communications, the number of Internet users in Egypt reached 62.3 million by the end of September 2020.

In this context, the paper discusses the Egyptian government’s policy in monitoring Internet users, in light of laws that the security agencies use to control … data. When the Personal Data Protection Law No. 151 of 2020 was passed, debate surfaced again as to how to protect citizens’ digital privacy.

The paper analyses the Egyptian government’s practices and the extent of their relevance to a public policy that relies on the use of surveillance to protect security and enhance stability, and the implications of that policy on Internet users in Egypt, in addition to its negative impact on investment.

This policy can be changed by stopping the monitoring of Internet users and enhancing the rule of law, thus paving the way for more investments and enabling citizens to engage in public debates.

In the meantime, … priority should be given to the protection of user data and the provision of services to the public.

• The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) is a non-governmental organisation. It has been registered in accordance with Egyptian law as a law firm since its establishment in 2006. It works on promoting and defending freedom of expression and freedom of information, based on the international charters and the Egyptian constitution. AFTE relies in its work on mechanisms of research, advocacy, monitoring, documentation and legal aid, targeting diverse groups of academics, students, journalists, innovators, politicians, legislators, and government officials