Interestingly, Egypt’s minister of telecommunications and information technology
publicly admitted that he allowed the security offices to monitor, record, and tap fixed
lines and cell phones. A member of parliament considered this access unconstitutional
and a violation of human rights. 34
Egyptian telecommunications law mandates that telecom operators and providers
shall provide, at their own expense, equipment and software that enable the armed
forces and national security entities to exercise their powers within the law. 35
ONI Testing Results
OpenNet Initiative in-country tests in 2008–2009 were conducted using the ISPs Link
Egypt and TEData. As in previous testing, ONI found no evidence of Internet filtering
in Egypt.
In 2005, most ISPs blocked the official Web site of the Muslim Brotherhood
(www.ikhwanonline.com), Egypt’s largest opposition movement. At one time, the
popular ISP LINKdotNET blocked www.alshaab.com, the Web site of the Labor Party’s
biweekly newsletter; it no longer does so. 36
A number of ISPs offer optional filters to block pornography. The ISP TEData, for
example, offers Internet services with ‘‘content control,’’ which eliminates ‘‘all of the
Internet’s indecent content that might affect your children.’’ 37
Conclusion
Egypt has become a leading Internet market in Africa, and Internet users enjoy unfiltered access to the Internet. However, the May 2009 court order to block access to
pornography online might result in a shift in filtering policy. The government monitors online activities and has increased its surveillance efforts. Egyptian bloggers continue to use the Internet for online activism, which continues to result in government
harassment, arrests, and intimidation. Current legislation allows jail terms for journalists, editors, and online writers, including bloggers.
Notes
1. BBC News, ‘‘Country Profile: Egypt,’’ March 10, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle
_east/country_profiles/737642.stm.
2. Sarah Carr, ‘‘Journalists Challenge Egypt’s Exceptional Laws at Seminar,’’ Daily News Egypt,
August 1, 2008, http://dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=15464.
3. Reporters Without Borders, ‘‘Egypt: Annual Report 2008,’’ 2008, http://arabia.reporters-sans
-frontieres.org/article.php3?id_article=25429.
542
Egypt
publicly admitted that he allowed the security offices to monitor, record, and tap fixed
lines and cell phones. A member of parliament considered this access unconstitutional
and a violation of human rights. 34
Egyptian telecommunications law mandates that telecom operators and providers
shall provide, at their own expense, equipment and software that enable the armed
forces and national security entities to exercise their powers within the law. 35
ONI Testing Results
OpenNet Initiative in-country tests in 2008–2009 were conducted using the ISPs Link
Egypt and TEData. As in previous testing, ONI found no evidence of Internet filtering
in Egypt.
In 2005, most ISPs blocked the official Web site of the Muslim Brotherhood
(www.ikhwanonline.com), Egypt’s largest opposition movement. At one time, the
popular ISP LINKdotNET blocked www.alshaab.com, the Web site of the Labor Party’s
biweekly newsletter; it no longer does so. 36
A number of ISPs offer optional filters to block pornography. The ISP TEData, for
example, offers Internet services with ‘‘content control,’’ which eliminates ‘‘all of the
Internet’s indecent content that might affect your children.’’ 37
Conclusion
Egypt has become a leading Internet market in Africa, and Internet users enjoy unfiltered access to the Internet. However, the May 2009 court order to block access to
pornography online might result in a shift in filtering policy. The government monitors online activities and has increased its surveillance efforts. Egyptian bloggers continue to use the Internet for online activism, which continues to result in government
harassment, arrests, and intimidation. Current legislation allows jail terms for journalists, editors, and online writers, including bloggers.
Notes
1. BBC News, ‘‘Country Profile: Egypt,’’ March 10, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle
_east/country_profiles/737642.stm.
2. Sarah Carr, ‘‘Journalists Challenge Egypt’s Exceptional Laws at Seminar,’’ Daily News Egypt,
August 1, 2008, http://dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=15464.
3. Reporters Without Borders, ‘‘Egypt: Annual Report 2008,’’ 2008, http://arabia.reporters-sans
-frontieres.org/article.php3?id_article=25429.
542
Egypt