The Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR) has announced that it hasn’t yet made a decision concerning news websites that have demanded authorisation according to the journalism and media code signed by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in September 2019.

The SCMR explained that the delay was due to the executive draft that was supposed to be provided by the prime minister. This is against the fifth article of the law, which stipulated that the executive draft has to be provided by the prime minister within three months after the law was issued. 

Although the prime minister hasn’t provided the draft, the SCMR defined the measures necessary to authorise a news website including: paying EGP 50,000 in fees, filing an application including all data concerning the website and its team and its financials. Despite the absence of the executive draft, the SCMR gave websites just two weeks to apply; 150 websites applied but they received no response.

Egyptian authorities prefer not to authorise news websites and other media platforms to ease security forces’ violations against these platforms. Furthermore, preventing authorisation allows Egyptian authorities to maintain its monopoly on the media.