Egypt's parliamentary telecommunications and information technology committee on Tuesday (March 13th) began discussing a new government-drafted law aimed at combating cybercrime, Egypt’s Ahram Online reported.
Committee chairman Nidal al-Saeed said the bill was jointly prepared by the ministries of justice and telecommunications and information technology.
In its first meeting on Tuesday, the committee debated 10 articles of the new law, al-Saeed said.
Kamal Amer, head of parliament's defence and national security committee and the former chief of Egypt's military intelligence, said the new bill will stand up to the growing dangers of extremist and militant movements who use the internet and modern technology to carry out terror attacks.
"The internet has now become a major tool in recruiting extremists and launching terrorist and subversive attacks," he said.
"The new bill gives powers to the interior ministry and other state institutions to track websites and social media which are involved in spreading terrorism through extremist, radical and militant ideologies," he added.
