Five female social media influencers have been sentenced to two years in prison for violating public morals.
The decision against Mowada al-Adham, Haneem Hossam, and three other influencers came after they shared videos on TikTok app.
A source said: “The Cairo economic court sentenced Hossam, Adham and three others to two years after they were convicted of violating society values.”
The verdict also included a fine of $18,750 (300,000 Egyptian pounds) each, the insider revealed.
Hossam was arrested after sharing a 3-minute video telling her fans that girls could earn money by working with her.
She mentioned that an app called ‘Likee’ allows women aged 18 and above to work from home and earn up to $3,000 by talking to strangers and making live videos.
“You will be able to form friendships with people in a respectable way,” she added.
Ghadeer Ahmed, a high-profile person, came to Hossam’s defense and claimed that influencer had became a target of bullying campaigns by authorities.
“This video went viral and some TV hosts and YouTubers started to incite against her, saying she wants to hire young Egyptian women as ‘digital sex workers,’ which is illegal and goes against the so-called public moralities,” Ahmed said.
One internet user said at that time: “TikTok, Likee and apps like these should all be banned in Arab countries. I myself don’t like them.”
Another wrote: “This is the same as prostitution. Instead of engaging in intercourse, they are just showing their bodies.”
Before Hossam’s arrest, she shared a video defending her TikTok post and said that she didn’t call for ‘debauchery.’
“There are famous actors that use TikTok. Does this mean they work in prostitution?”
In May, Mowada Adham, another influencer, got arrested for sharing satirical videos on Instagram and TikTok.
According to some analysts, the social media influencers were targeted because of their modest roots. Lawyer Intesar al-Saeed said the young women’s arrests ‘are part of violence against women because they come from lower classes.’
Tarek al-Awadi, a human rights lawyer, said the arrests showed how a religious and deeply conservative society was wresting with the rise of modern communications technology.
“There is a technological revolution happening and legislators need to take into account a constantly changing environment,” Awadi expressed.
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