By Hadiza Abdulkadir
Egyptian police have arrested dozens of teenage TikTok creators on charges ranging from indecency to money laundering, in what critics say is a crackdown on free expression.
Authorities have confiscated the influencers’ devices, frozen their assets, and imposed travel bans. Among those detained is 19-year-old Mariam Ayman, known online as “Suzy El Ordonia,” who has more than nine million followers. She is accused of posting indecent content and laundering millions of pounds.
Rights groups warn that vague morality provisions in Egypt’s cybercrime law are being used to silence young voices online, while traditional media remains tightly controlled by the state.
So far, none of the detained creators have been released, and the government has not indicated any change in its approach.
Authorities ordered TikTok to delete content it described as inappropriate or face a ban.
According to reports, TikTok had removed more than 2.9 million videos, some of them even before being reported or flagged by users.