Egyptian authorities have detained dozens of teenage TikTok influencers with millions of followers in recent weeks on charges that range from violating family values to money laundering and alleged unlawful financial gains
The Egyptian government is said to be imposing travel bans, asset freezes, and device confiscations in an activity critics argue is part of a broader state strategy to control speech and behavior in Egypt, where social media has long been a rare alternative to state-dominated traditional media.
Strict Egyptian Laws
Lawyers highlight the vagueness of Egypt’s indecency laws, which allow authorities to scrutinize a TikTokker’s entire post history. A single post deemed indecent can lead to charges of financial crimes tied to the influencer’s earnings.
Mariam Ayman, a 19-year-old known as Suzy El Ordonia with 9.4 million followers, was arrested on August 2, 2025 and is facing charges of distributing indecent content and laundering 15 million Egyptian pounds ($300,000). In her last video before detention, Ayman acknowledged past posts where she may have “agitated, cursed, or told a bad joke” to express frustration, denying any intent to promote harmful behavior.
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) has condemned what it calls an “aggressive security campaign” rooted in vague morality provisions under a 2018 cybercrime law. The law penalizes content that violates “family values or principles in Egyptian society,” a broad standard that EIPR lawyer Lobna Darwish says is applied inconsistently. EIPR reports at least 151 people charged under this law in over 109 cases in the past five years, likely an undercount.
The campaign has expanded beyond female TikTokkers to include individuals with dissenting religious views or those from the LGBT community, some targeted for private, unshared content. Prosecutors have encouraged citizens to report objectionable posts, and the Interior Ministry’s TikTok account has urged creators to adhere to moral standards. Some online commentators have even falsely accused influencers of running organ trafficking networks.
Egypt’s Economic Challenges
Egypt is currently facing deep economic challenges that are reshaping its society, politics, and international relations. The country is struggling with a severe currency crisis, as repeated devaluations of the Egyptian pound have fueled soaring inflation, pushing the prices of food and basic goods beyond the reach of many households.
The country’s youth unemployment remains high and poverty continues to affect around 30% of the population, raising social concerns.