Lawmaker Submits Motion to Ban TikTok to House of Representatives

A lawmaker at the House of Representatives, Essam Diab, has proposed a motion calling for a permanent ban of the TikTok platform in Egypt, claiming it has a negative impact on society, particularly amongst the youth. The motion was submitted to Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat.

In his proposal, Diab explained that TikTok plays a significant role in spreading what he described as “immorality and debauchery” among young people. He further criticized the platform for violating Egyptian customs and values, arguing that the videos shared on TikTok have the potential to corrupt youth and threaten the future of Egyptian families. The lawmaker also pointed to multiple cases linked to TikTok that have been referred to the Egyptian judiciary for legal action.

In response to growing concerns about the app, the Egyptian government has been considering regulatory measures. Earlier in August, Ahmed Badawi, the head of the Communications Committee, revealed that the government had no immediate plans to ban TikTok but was instead focused on drafting a law to tax the profits generated by the platform.

According to the ‘We Are Social’ report, Egypt ranked 11th globally for the highest number of TikTok users in 2024, with 37.6 million users. The Egyptian Information and Decision Support Centre (IDSC) also reported that TikTok was the third most-used social media platform in Egypt in 2023, following Facebook and Instagram.