Egyptian content creator, Mohamed Abdelaty Taha, has been arrested in the latest crackdown on TikTokers and influencers, local media reported.
The powerlifter and comedian was arrested on charges over content deemed offensive to public decency and Egyptian values.
Reports state that the arrest came following a series of complaints filed by several lawyers, alleging that his videos violate societal norms and promote indecent behaviour.
The comedian, who also hosts a podcast where he discusses trending topics, was set to perform a show on 21 September in London at Bush Hall.
In a podcast episode, he interviewed Mahmoud Samir, who shared his journey regarding addiction, loss, and suicide.
In another one of his most recent videos posted on 20 July, Taha, who has amassed over 600,000 followers on Instagram, expresses concern over fellow content creator Suzy el-Ordoneya, after doing a podcast episode with her.
"I was worried that she may be exposed to anything, I fear for her, I didn’t want her to be in danger after the episode or for her to say something that would land her in trouble," he said about the 18-year-old who has since been arrested by Egyptian authorities.
In the over hour-long episode, the charismatic teenager, whose real name is Mariam, spoke about her desire to act, her relationship status, her favourite rappers, and traits she likes in a partner, among other topics.
The arrest of Taha has drawn criticism on social media, with many raising concerns over a new crackdown on human rights and freedom of expression.
"Enough with the morality charges. Are we that sensitive we can’t take a few jokes? And don’t they see comedians around the world using foul languages in their shows and no one cares or starts using foul words just because they heard it on stage," one person wrote on Instagram.
"This is so absurd," another wrote, while one user said they had "never heard any bad word from this man. Release him".
The New Arab’s Arabic language sister publication, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, reported on Sunday that several young men and women who regularly post content on TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube had been arrested in recent days.
Those arrested have been made due to their content allegedly "violating family values and publishing inappropriate content".
The vague charges, which have in recent years been regularly used against content creators, have triggered alarm over human rights abuses in the country.
Rights organisations have denounced the "systematic targeting of girls and young women", urging Egyptian authorities to halt the "moral guardianship" imposed on digital content. They have also called for an end to societal intimidation and suppression of freedom of expression under the pretext of protecting public morals.
According to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, experts are warning over the lack of criteria and information on what constitutes "offensive content" or content that "violates family values", leading to arrests over subjective interpretation of online material.
They also warned that marginalised groups in particular are being targeted by authorities.