Egypt
Overview
Egypt is the Arab world’s most populous country, with a population of approximately 82 million people. On January 25, 2011, massive protests started in Cairo, leading to a violent revolution and the overthrow of longtime President Hosni Mubarak. During the Egyptian revolution in 2011 and again in the turbulent weeks before President Muhammad Morsi’s removal from office in 2013, blogs and social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook were critical tools for journalists, cyberactivists, and average Internet users to share information and coordinate events. In spite of continued government filtering, censorship, and aggression toward dissenters, Egypt’s information communication technology sector continues to develop rapidly.
Access
The Egyptian government has prioritized the development of a strong ICT sector since the late 1990s. In 1999, it established the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology and since then has continued to invest financial and human resources in improving infrastructure and access. The International telecommunications Union (ITU) reports that 30 percent of Egyptians currently have Internet access in their homes. The ITU also reports a 44 percent Internet penetration rate, nearly 23 million wired broadband subscriptions, and mobile cellular subscriptions exceeding 96 million in 2012. Despite the country’s solid ICT infrastructure, cost remains a major barrier to greater numbers of broadband subscriptions in Egypt.
Control
In the lead up to the overthrow of the Mubarak regime and in the years since, content filtering has increased significantly. The government has repeatedly responded to public demonstrations facilitated by Internet activism by temporarily blocking online sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Bambuser, and by arresting bloggers and human rights activists. The Mubarak government was also known for shutting down opposition parties’ websites. In 2009, the Committee to Protect Journalists designated Egypt as one of the 10 worst countries in which to be a blogger. The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information asserted that the government maintained a policy of kidnapping Internet activists, many of whom were students under the age of 21. The most dramatic act of government censorship under Mubarak occurred on January 27, 2011 when, in response to civil unrest, the government shut down the Internet entirely.
Activity
Egyptian bloggers and Internet activists have resisted government controls by advocating for user rights and by documenting government abuses. Despite being targeted for government repression over the years, some Egyptian bloggers, such as Alaa Abdel Fattah—arrested in 2011 and again in 2013—Wael Abbas, and Asmaa Mahfouz, have become media celebrities and are recognized for their efforts to redefine the limits of freedom of expression in Egypt. The Internet recently played a significant role in the ouster of President Muhammad Morsi. Activists used online venues, such as Facebook and Twitter, to express their dissent, collect signatures for petitions calling for Morsi’s ouster, and to organize offline protest events. Online activity, however, was not limited to Morsi’s critics. The president himself recognized the power of social media, using his official Twitter handle to garner support for his policies and to respond to his critics. The use of Internet by both citizens and government officials suggests that while Egypt’s political future is uncertain, the role of the Internet in shaping that future is becoming increasingly significant.
The Egyptian government has prioritized the development of a strong ICT sector since the late 1990s. In 1999, it established the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology and since then has continued to invest financial and human resources in improving infrastructure and access. The International telecommunications Union (ITU) reports that 30 percent of Egyptians currently have Internet access in their homes. The ITU also reports a 44 percent Internet penetration rate, nearly 23 million wired broadband subscriptions, and mobile cellular subscriptions exceeding 96 million in 2012. Despite the country’s solid ICT infrastructure, cost remains a major barrier to greater numbers of broadband subscriptions in Egypt.
In the lead up to the overthrow of the Mubarak regime and in the years since, content filtering has increased significantly. The government has repeatedly responded to public demonstrations facilitated by Internet activism by temporarily blocking online sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Bambuser, and by arresting bloggers and human rights activists. The Mubarak government was also known for shutting down opposition parties’ websites. In 2009, the Committee to Protect Journalists designated Egypt as one of the 10 worst countries in which to be a blogger. The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information asserted that the government maintained a policy of kidnapping Internet activists, many of whom were students under the age of 21. The most dramatic act of government censorship under Mubarak occurred on January 27, 2011 when, in response to civil unrest, the government shut down the Internet entirely.
Egyptian bloggers and Internet activists have resisted government controls by advocating for user rights and by documenting government abuses. Despite being targeted for government repression over the years, some Egyptian bloggers, such as Alaa Abdel Fattah—arrested in 2011 and again in 2013—Wael Abbas, and Asmaa Mahfouz, have become media celebrities and are recognized for their efforts to redefine the limits of freedom of expression in Egypt. The Internet recently played a significant role in the ouster of President Muhammad Morsi. Activists used online venues, such as Facebook and Twitter, to express their dissent, collect signatures for petitions calling for Morsi’s ouster, and to organize offline protest events. Online activity, however, was not limited to Morsi’s critics. The president himself recognized the power of social media, using his official Twitter handle to garner support for his policies and to respond to his critics. The use of Internet by both citizens and government officials suggests that while Egypt’s political future is uncertain, the role of the Internet in shaping that future is becoming increasingly significant.