Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi says the spread of ‘fake news’ could destabilize Arab nations.
He told a military Academy graduation on Sunday that Arab countries, including Egypt are exposed to the threats that come with the spread of ‘fake news’.
Sisi says his government detected 21,000 ‘fake news’ over a period of three months.
“The real danger is blowing up countries from within. Rumours, acts of terrorism, loss of hope and feeling of frustration, all these work in a grand network aimed at one objective, only one objective, and that is to move people to destroy their country,” Sisi said.
Sisi further said that “Destroying our countries will not happen unless it came from within. We must be alert and pay attention to what is being spun against us in secret”.
Egypt’s fight against fake news?
In order to regulate social media usage, Egypt’s parliament this month approved new regulations.
The new regime requires that all social media users with over 5,000 followers are given special monitoring by the state.
These users could be placed under the supervision of Egypt’s Supreme Council for Media Regulations.
The new law also covers websites and blogs that publish news related content.
President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi’s is now required to sign the law to give his final approval. Many consider the move an attempt to curb dissents.
Human rights groups including Amnesty International have condemned the new law.
This month a Lebanese tourist was jailed in Egypt for complaining of sexual harassment and living conditions in Egypt.
Mona el-Mazboh was arrested last month for posting a video on Facebook raising these concerns.
She was convicted of deliberately spreading false rumours by the court.
Source: Africafeeds.com
