Egypt arrests TikTokers in latest morality crackdown

  

 Egyptian authorities have arrested at least eight TikTok content creators in less than a week on vague charges including "indecency", in what rights defenders warn is a sweeping crackdown mainly targeting women online.

According to the interior ministry, the creators' videos contain "obscene language", "violate public morals" and constitute "a misuse of social media".

But prominent advocacy group the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) has accused authorities of seeking to control public discourse, urging them to "stop prosecuting online content creators on vague, ethics- and class-based charges such as 'violating Egyptian family values'".The wave of arrests followed an online smear campaign and a complaint filed by 32 lawyers that alleged the videos "posed a danger to young people", without explaining how.The ensuing crackdown "is the largest since 2020", said Lobna Darwish, EIPR's gender and human rights officer.

In 2020, Egyptian security forces launched a similar crackdown mainly against young women dancing and lip-syncing on TikTok, deeming the content overly suggestive.

According to Darwish, the "blatant class bias" at play this time was even clearer than before, with authorities going after women from lower-middle-class backgrounds who gained visibility and wealth through social media.

In a statement, police said two content creators had "confessed to publishing videos to increase views and generate financial profits", adding there was "suspicion as to the source of their wealth".

Among those arrested, mostly at their homes, were women TikTokers known online as Suzy al-Urduniya, Alia Qamaron, Um Mekka, Um Sajda and Qamr al-Wekala.

Three male creators known as Modahm, Shaker and Mohamed Abdel Aaty were also arrested.

Their accounts, most of which are still online, feature a broad range of content including comedy sketches, lip-syncing videos, ads for low-cost beauty products and snippets of daily life in working class neighbourhoods.


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