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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 18 sepTember 2018

Egypt says it fights fake news, critics see new crackdown

By SAMY MAGDY where in the Arab world as
CAIRO (AP) — Echoing governments crack down
some of President Donald on social media content.
Trump's rhetoric, authori- The Palestinian self-rule
ties in Egypt are taking aim government, for example,
at an alleged barrage last year clamped down
of "fake news" they say is on social media and news
meant to sow division and websites — main outlets for
undermine the rule of gen- debate and dissent in the
eral-turned-president Ab- West Bank — with a vague-
del-Fattah el-Sissi. ly worded law that allows
Under a new law, the for charges of harming "na-
state's top media regula- tional unity" or the "social
tory agency can now use fabric." In Egypt, officials
the "fake news" label to have pointed to several
shut down social media recent reports on social
accounts with more than media networks that they
5,000 followers, without said were blatantly false
having to obtain a court and seemed designed to
order. Another new law al- spread panic. One report
lows blocking websites with claimed poisoned toma-
content deemed a threat toes were being sold in
to national security. the markets. Another said
Last month, the govern- authorities planned to tax
ment set up a unit tracking In this April 3, 2017 file photo, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sissi listens during a meeting with bank deposits. A third rumor
alleged rumors, after el-Sissi President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. warned depositors that the
claimed without elaborat- Associated Press government planned to
ing that the government seize their foreign currency
had identified some 21,000 an Egyptian watchdog, the government did not publi- El-Sissi has alleged that accounts and give them
rumors having been circu- Association for Freedom of cize the decision or provide Egypt and other Arab na- their equivalent in Egyptian
lated over a three-month Thought and Expression. an explanation. tions are being threatened pounds. Not surprisingly,
period this year. The Cabi- "They (authorities) have Trump has repeatedly ac- by rumors. authorities are blaming
net often issues statements blocked all sources of in- cused critical media out- "The real danger is blowing the misinformation on the
refuting purported rumors. formation," said Khaled lets of being producers of up countries from within," Muslim Brotherhood group,
Government critics de- el-Balshy, a prominent pro- "fake news," labelling them el-Sissi said in July. "Rumors, which was designated a
nounce the measures as democracy activist and "the enemy of the people," terrorist acts, losing hope terrorist organization after
the latest attempt to sup- former board member of and only lauding those that and frustration, all these the 2013 military overthrow
press dissent and silence the Journalists' Union. "They cover him favorably. (things) function in an in- of President Mohammed
what is left of indepen- confiscate the media and Egypt's government never credible network aiming Morsi, who hails from the
dent journalism. Over the any area of free speech, said publicly that it was em- at one objective: to stir group, amid mass street
past few months, some even on social media." bracing Trump's media pol- up people to destroy their protest against his one-year
500 online sites have been Two of his websites were icies, but el-Sissi, a staunch country." rule. The government has
blocked, as part of the recently blocked, including Trump ally, has made clear In recent years, more re- treated the Brotherhood as
state's growing control over one just nine hours after its that he wants to see the strictive media policies its main domestic enemy
the media, according to June 19 launch. He said the media united behind him. have been adopted else- since then.q