Egypt’s Parliament Approves Country’s First Data Privacy Law

Egypt’s parliamentary House of Representatives approved the country’s first legislation providing legal protections for online personal data.

The proposal prohibits the collection, processing, or distribution of personal data without permission, except in specific cases. It applies to all people in Egypt, and to all data about Egyptians whether held in the country or abroad.

The legislation “aims to keep pace with the current international standard for the protection of personal data” based on the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, according to its preamble. It was approved Feb. 24.

The cabinet approved a draft of the legislation in August 2018 ...