In a step aimed at protecting “state stability,” the Egyptian government announced on Monday that it started taking measures to launch a social networking platform similar to Facebook. “Egypt has taken steps in order to set up its own social media platforms, similar to several other countries around the world,” said Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Yasser al-Kady. Speaking during a workshop organized by the Egyptian Justice Ministry to face and combat extremism, al-Kady explained that the protection of data and information is very important and that the Egyptian state is keen on safeguarding the personal privacy of its citizens. “We should be able to protect data and our citizens to help achieve stability in the country,” he stressed. According to al-Kady, a new cybercrime bill was completed to combat terrorism and to prohibit terrorists from exploiting social media platforms to recruit members. He added that the bill has been approved by the cabinet and referred to parliament for discussion. During 2016, the Interior Ministrys Department of Computer Crimes Control was able to close 1,045 Facebook pages for “inciting violence against police and army officers, calling for [protest] marches and obstructing roads.” MP Yehya el-Kedwany told Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday there is need for the Egyptian state to control social media networks in light of the increasing level of incitement, the spread of rumors and the recruitment of terrorist members. “We hope we will be able to prevent terrorists from reaching social networks, such as Facebook and others. This will be a great solution.” According to 2017 statistics, 45 to 48 million Egyptians have Facebook accounts.