Egypt arrests teenage Tiktokers, gives reasons

Egyptian authorities have been arresting teenage TikTok creators with large followings, detaining dozens in recent weeks on charges that include violating family values and money laundering.

Police say they have carried out multiple arrests, while prosecutors report at least 10 cases under investigation for unlawful financial gains. 

Measures taken include travel bans, asset freezes, and confiscation of devices.

According to Reuters, critics argue the crackdown is part of a wider effort by the state to control online speech in a country where social media has long been one of the few spaces outside of state-run media. Many of those detained were children during the 2011 protests, when activists used Facebook to help mobilize against former president Hosni Mubarak.

Lawyers note that indecency laws are broad. Authorities can review an influencer’s entire posting history, and if they find one post they consider inappropriate, they can classify earnings as illegal and file financial crime charges.

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One of those detained is 19-year-old Mariam Ayman, known online as Suzy El Ordonia, who has 9.4 million followers. She has been jailed since August 2 and faces charges of distributing indecent content and laundering 15 million pounds ($300,000).

The Interior Ministry said she was arrested after complaints about her content. In her last video before her arrest, she hinted at the pressure she was under.

“Egyptians don’t get arrested just because they appear on TikTok,” she said.

She admitted that in some past videos she may have “agitated, cursed, or told a bad joke,” but explained this was a way of venting and “not meant to teach the younger generation to follow suit.”

Her lawyer, Marawan al-Gindy, did not comment directly on her case but said indecency laws were being enforced unevenly.

“There is a law that criminalises indecent acts, but what we need is consistent application and defined rules, not just for TikTok, for all platforms,” he said.

(Reuters)

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