Egyptian law secures privacy rights, imprisons invaders

CAIRO – 4 April 2018: Egyptian law criminalizes activities, including violations of an individual’s private life without their permission, and sentences the violator to prison in the case that he is proven guilty.

Taking photos of a person in a private place, transmitting a conversation in a private place or overhearing a telephone conversation without permission may lead to a prison sentence of up to a year, according to Egypt’s penal code (309 bis, 309 bis A).

Moreover, an individual convicted of blackmailing someone by threatening to release their private conversation may face a prison sentence of up to five years.

The law also criminalizes the use of modern technology to commit such violations against an individual’s will, and orders the confiscation of the equipment used, and the subsequent deletion or destruction of recordings.