Tech and Law

This paper provides detailed policies and legislative guidance for legislators and policymakers in Egypt on drafting and enacting telecommunications and information technology laws. It focuses on policies and practical guidance to support the legislator in making informed decisions about the necessity of legislation.

The Egyptian Parliament is considering new amendments to the Cybercrime Law in the name of protecting children and young people from online harms. This position paper argues that such protection cannot be achieved by expanding a law that already raises concerns about overcriminalization and broad blocking powers.

. This paper examines how the judiciary has approached blocking as an exceptional measure that directly affects freedom of expression and access to information, and it traces the legislative context that enabled the expansion of blocking practices, from national security cases to disputes involving intellectual property and unfair competition.

In a new judicial development, the Shebin El-Kom Criminal Court overturned a conviction against a defendant in a cyber extortion case conducted via the “WhatsApp” application, after it was proven that the digital forensic evidence used against him was invalid due to the authorities’ failure to comply with the legal and technical standards governing its collection and analysis. This paper examines the court’s reasoning in detail.

This paper seeks to engage with the ongoing debate surrounding the concept of ‘cybercrime’. It presents arguments in favor of establishing a distinct classification termed “cybercrime”, as well as the counterarguments asserting that crime, in its essence, remains constant, with technology serving merely as a new instrument for the commission of traditional offenses.