The Egyptian Council of Ministers, meeting on Wednesday, December 10, examined a series of legal and institutional measures designed to combat rumors, disinformation, and any harm that could destabilize Egyptian society or the national economy.
The Council has tasked the Ministry of Justice, in coordination with other relevant authorities, with drafting a bill to amend the Penal Code. This amendment aims to strengthen penalties for crimes related to spreading rumors and disinformation, particularly through amendments to Article 380 of the Penal Code, in order to ensure a sufficient level of general deterrence.
Officials emphasized that the current fines stipulated in the Penal Code for spreading rumors and disinformation are “insufficient” and must be reconsidered “in light of the danger they pose to the security of society and the national economy.”
To address this, the government agreed to implement several proactive institutional measures: Early Detection Units: Establish specialized rumor detection units within all ministries. These units will be tasked with identifying and refuting misinformation before it can spread widely. Institutional Cooperation: Strengthen the role of the Council of Ministers’ Information Service and other information offices by establishing cooperation mechanisms to immediately address, respond to, and refute rumors with accurate, documented information.
In parallel, a draft law aimed at regulating the access to and circulation of official data is being prepared, aligning with Article 68 of the Constitution. The goal is to strike a balance between transparency, the availability of official information and statistics, and the protection of confidential data.
The Council decided to expedite the finalization of this draft law, which is seen as an “effective tool for combating misinformation,” by regulating citizens’ access to reliable information from official sources and putting an end to the circulation of misleading reports.
Furthermore, the Council of Ministers tasked the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology with developing and implementing a specialized training program for state employees to improve their technical skills in monitoring and verifying rumors.
AK/ac/fss/abj/APA