During its meeting, the Egyptian Cabinet discussed a report prepared by the committee formed pursuant to Prime Minister's Decree No. 2417 of 2026, to study the necessary regulatory measures to address negative practices on social media platforms. The study aimed to balance social protection mechanisms and family values with the development of legislative and technical frameworks related to digital safety.
An Integrated National Center for Automated Content Monitoring
On the technical front, the Cabinet reviewed a proposal to transform the "Content Unit" affiliated with the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority into an integrated technical national center. The new center will rely on artificial intelligence technologies to implement an automated monitoring system for violations and identify the entities or individuals behind them, especially with the increasing use of deepfake technologies and their impacts on the economy and society.
The proposed vision also included the establishment of a specialized operations room tasked with studying and classifying monitored violations, distinguishing between individual behaviors and systematic practices, while applying graduated measures starting with warnings and reaching service suspension or comprehensive blocking, and notifying the competent authorities when necessary, with the participation of experts in technical, social, and artistic fields.
Legislative Amendments and the Digital Safety Law
On the legislative path, the meeting discussed ongoing steps to prepare amendments to the Penal Code aimed at increasing the fines prescribed for crimes of spreading rumors and fake news. These amendments complement efforts to pass the anticipated Digital Safety Regulation Law, which establishes general rules governing the digital environment and enhances the management of systemic risks for electronic platforms.
Awareness Campaigns and Institutional Coordination
The committee's recommendations included strengthening the awareness role with the participation of various state institutions, as roles were assigned to the Ministries of Communications and Information Technology, Education, Endowments, Youth and Sports, and Culture, in addition to Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and the Coptic Church. The plans included directing visual and audio campaigns, launching warning text messages, and incorporating concepts of digital safety and awareness of the risks of harmful content into educational and youth curricula and activities.
At the conclusion of the discussions, the Prime Minister issued directives to form a specialized working group to follow up on the implementation of the committee's outputs and recommendations through its three tracks: social awareness, technical confrontation, and completing the legislative system related to digital safety.