AMMAN, JORDAN - Egyptian lawmakers have called for stricter surveillance of women on video-sharing apps after the arrests of a popular social media influencer and a well-known belly dancer on charges of debauchery and inciting immorality.
Instagram and TikTok influencer Haneen Hossam, 20, is under 15 days detention for a post encouraging women to broadcast videos in exchange for money, while dancer Sama el-Masry faces 15 days detention for posting "indecent" photos and videos.
FILE - Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly in Beirut, Lebanon, May 2, 2019.
MP John Talaat was among several politicians to complain, and he has submitted a request to Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly to increase monitoring and censorship of apps that young people use to post "unethical" and "inappropriate" videos.
"Because of a lack of surveillance some people are exploiting these apps in a manner that violates public morals and Egypt's customs and traditions," Talaat said on Facebook.
He did not respond to requests for additional comments about the video-sharing apps that have become increasingly popular with younger people during the coronavirus lockdowns.
Cybercrime law
In 2018 Egypt adopted a cybercrime law that grants the government full authority to censor the internet and exercise communication surveillance. A media regulation law also allows authorities to block individual social media accounts.
The Egyptian government was not immediately available to comment on the cases of el-Masry and Hossam — a student with about 1 million followers on TikTok and Instagram — who are being held in detention separately while under investigation.
Several women in Egypt have previously been accused of "inciting debauchery" by challenging the country's c ..
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