SCMR: L.E. 250K penalty to be imposed on media using slander

CAIRO – 16 June 2020: The Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR) is working to regulate the media scene, especially regarding the issuance of the executive regulations for the law managing the press, in cooperation with the Media Professionals’ Syndicate.

The regulations set by the council determined a 6-month timeframe for media institutions to legalize their conditions, so that the deadline would be in August.

The regulations also set punishments and administrative measures to be imposed on violations such assharing or airing words or phrases bearing a slander of defamation.

An observatory will be formed to monitor 34 channels, and strict rules banning non-members of the media syndicate from presenting programs on TV.

Article 16 of the regulations stipulate that the use of bad words or phrases bearing defamation, insulting individuals,doubting financial receivables, violating the sanctity of the private life of citizens, fabricating false facts, or drawing accusations without evidence that threaten or hurt the feelings of the public, are considered violations that require one of the following penalties:

- Drawing attention.

- Obligation to submit an apology in the same manner in which the violation occurred.

- Paying financial penalty of no more than LE 250,000 or the equivalent of this value in foreign currency.

- Banning the publication, broadcasting the program or blocking the page or the website for a certain period of time.

- Blocking non-personal websites for a specified period or permanently.

- Blocking personal websites, whose number of followers exceeds 5,000 followers, for a specified period of time.