EGYPT Law and Practice Contributed by: Ibrahim Shehata, Tasneem El-Naggar and Safa Rabea, Shehata & Partners
5.5 Recent Developments International Transfer of Personal Data The regulation of international data transfers in Egypt has evolved with the introduction of the PDPL, which establishes strict requirements for transferring personal data across borders. The law mandates prior approval from the PDPC for any cross-border transfers, unless specific exceptions apply. While the PDPL’s executive regulations are still pending, they are expected to provide detailed procedures for applying for PDPC approval, criteria for adequacy decisions, and requirements for mitigating high-risk trans - fers. Sector-specific regulations such as the Bank - ing Law No 194/2020 and the Telecommunica - tions Law introduce additional restrictions on the international transfer of sensitive data within their respective domains, reinforcing Egypt’s commitment to data sovereignty and security. In this regard, the Banking Law prohibits the shar - ing of customer financial data with foreign enti - ties without prior regulatory approval, while the Telecommunications Law restricts the transfer of telecommunications-related data outside Egypt unless explicitly authorised. These measures align Egypt’s regulatory framework with global data protection standards while prioritising the protection of individual privacy and national interests.
registration or licences are required when operating outside Egypt, but registration as a CSP is required when operating inside Egypt. 5.4 Blocking Statutes Prior to the issuance of Press and Media Regula - tions Law No 180/2018 (the “Media Law”), the Egyptian Constitution prohibited the imposition of censorship over Egyptian newspapers and media outlets, or the confiscation, suspension or closing of them, as there were no legal provi - sions regulating the process of blocking and fil - tering content of different forms. As a result, the administrative court used to apply the Telecom - munications Law provisions as a legal buttress, or as an excuse for blocking newspapers and media outlets. It can be said that such judicial jurisprudence has contributed to establishing legal rules to allow the “blocking” of various media content. Accordingly, after the issuance of the Media Law, a number of rules now regulate the operation of media outlets of various forms. In this regard, the Media Law vests the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR) with vast competencies, allowing it to impose different forms of censor - ship over different forms of media outlets. The Media Law further widened the scope of com - petence of the SCMR, as a result of which dis - tinctions between different forms of censorship and their mechanics all fall under the discretion of the SCMR.
120 CHAMBERS.COM
Powered by FlippingBook