At least eight TikTok content creators have been arrested in Egypt in less than a week as part of a fresh crackdown on online expression, which human rights groups say is mainly targeting women from lower-middle-class backgrounds under vague morality laws.

The Ministry of Interior said the arrests were due to the creators’ use of “obscene language”, and for allegedly violating public morals and misusing social media platforms.

However, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) criticised the action, accusing the state of seeking to tighten control over online spaces and silence nonconforming voices.

“This is the largest crackdown since 2020,” said Lobna Darwish, EIPR’s gender and human rights officer, who pointed to a clear pattern of class bias.

She explained that those arrested are mostly women who used their platforms to build a following and earn income through content creation, and who are now being punished for gaining visibility and independence.

Among those arrested are popular female TikTokers Suzy al-Urduniya, Alia Qamaron, Um Mekka, Um Sajda and Qamr al-Wekala.

Three male creators;  Modahm, Shaker and Mohamed Abdel Aaty,  were also taken into custody. Most were picked up from their homes. Their videos, still visible online, include comedy clips, lip-syncs, promotional content for budget beauty products and glimpses of daily life in Egypt’s working-class areas.

Police stated that two of the arrested individuals admitted to posting videos “to increase views and generate financial profits”, and claimed there was “suspicion as to the source of their wealth”.

The clampdown followed a social media smear campaign and a complaint from 32 lawyers, who accused the influencers of endangering young people but did not specify how.

EIPR said the charges are part of a wider trend where vague accusations — such as “violating Egyptian family values” — are used to prosecute individuals based on subjective interpretations of morality and class.

State-aligned media figures have supported the arrests. Pro-government talk show host Ahmed Moussa declared that the creators’ short videos were “destroying society’s values”.

Ahmed Badawy, chair of parliament’s telecommunications committee, said TikTok’s regional office had been given a three-month deadline to clean up its content or face the risk of the platform being blocked in Egypt.

Badawy praised the recent arrests in an interview with ExtraNews, calling them a useful “deterrent” against inappropriate content. TikTok has yet to respond to the remarks or the government’s warning.

EIPR, however, believes the state is using legal tools to extend its control beyond the public realm and into personal expression.

The group argues that morality laws such as “inciting debauchery”, “violating public decency” and “misusing social media” are overly broad and allow courts to convict people without clear evidence of harm.

Since 2020, EIPR has recorded at least 151 individuals prosecuted under the “violating family values” charge.

Darwish noted that the state initially focused on women due to existing gender biases in society, but is now applying the same control tactics to male creators.

In June, Egyptian-Italian belly dancer Linda Martino, who has over two million Instagram followers, was arrested on similar charges, further highlighting the wide scope of the state’s campaign against online personalities.

According to EIPR, these actions represent a deliberate effort by authorities to "discipline" citizens and shape the online environment according to a strict state-defined moral framework.