Egypt to Ban Porn Sites

Egypt has announced [ar] today that access to all porn sites will be banned. Netizens discuss the move on Twitter, saying any kind of censorship will have dire consequences on free speech – as it opens the door to abuse by the authorities and the muzzling of voices online.

Journalism and mass communications professor Rasha Abdulla announces:

النائب العام يطالب الجهات المختصة بتنفيذ حكم”إغلاق المواقع الإباحية”

@RashaAbdulla: The Public Prosecutor demands from the concerned bodies to implement the order to shut down pornography sites

Mohammed Hendawy notes:

@The_Hendawy: It starts with porn. Then everything else..

And @LuluDeRaven explains [ar]:

قرار حجب المواقع الاباحية= حجب اي حاجة مش عاجباهم علنيت.. سياسية ادبية تاريخة فنية . معارضة. مدونات. مواقع تواصل اجتماعي ..

@LuluDeRaven: The decision to ban porn sites = censoring anything they don't like on the Internet – whether it is related to the politics, the arts, literature or history .. opposition .. blogs .. social networking sites

And Tarek Shalaby has the solution ready for such a move:

@tarekshalaby: I'll prepare a blog post tutorial to show how to bypass it

Guebara remarks:

عايزين تصرفوا فلوس على حجب مواقع إباحية ومش عايزين تصرفوا نفس الفلوس على كوادر الأطباء

@Gue3bara: You want to spend money on blocking porn and do not to spend the same money on doctors?

Amal asks:

محدش هيعمل وقفة عشان المواقع الاباحية والا ايه؟ يا عيني على اللي مالوش ضهر في البلد دي

@Amalegypt: Will no one hold a sit-in in support of porn sites? Or is it a cause without backing?

And @nermo adds bitterly:

المواقع الإباحية أوسخ من التعذيب في الأقسام وأوسخ من الفساد والسرقة والقتل وهي سبب الإنفلات الامني في سينا وبعد قفلها كل مشاكلنا هاتتحل

@nermo: Porn sites are more disgusting than torture in police stations, corruption, stealing and murder and is the reason for the lack of security in Sinai. Once porn sites are blocked, all our problems will be solved.

4 comments

  • […] Al Hussaini ha recogido (y traducido) en Global Voices algunas reacciones en Twitter: “Empieza con el porno y luego sigue todo lo demás” […]

  • […] Reactions from Egyptians followed immediately, pointing to the fact that the general ban may pave the way for more Internet regulations to come. In a country which is experiencing a continuous growth of Internet users and that has just gone through a “highly-connected” Revolution, curtailing the cyberspace doesn't seem to be an idea people are ready to accept. The shutting down of the Internet following the January 25 Revolution (#Jan25) in 2011, by the Mubarak regime, remains seared into the memory of many, as an unprecedented attempt to crackdown on freedom of expression. […]

  • […] in 2009 allowing technical measures to be taken to block online content deemed “pornographic.” Many have raised concerns highlighting that banning any given online content is a route to generalized censorship. The […]

  • Where did the money come from for this? I know they ordered equipment to do it. What country was it from (either the money or the manufacturer)?

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