Egyptian MP Raises Concerns Over State Facial Recognition Data Collection

Concerns have been raised in Egypt regarding the state's collection of facial recognition data for mobile phone line registration. Amira al-Adly, a Member of Parliament representing the Coordination of Youth Parties and Politicians, demanded clarification on the initiative during a Sunday phone interview.

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Biometric data is important and sensitive, and its handling is a matter of national security.

Al-Adly questioned the purpose behind collecting sensitive biometric data, asking whether it is solely to address issues of mobile phone lines being used by individuals other than their registered owners, or if it is part of a broader plan for a digital identity system. She stressed that biometric data is crucial and sensitive, classifying its handling as a matter of national security.

The MP pointed out that Egypt's Personal Data Protection Law mandates the establishment of a specialized data protection center. She argued that collecting sensitive data requires a clear institutional framework that defines rules for its handling and protection. Al-Adly suggested that the problem of mobile phone lines being misused is linked to employees exploiting citizen data and identity cards, and that solutions should target these root causes rather than expanding the collection of sensitive biometric data without proper oversight.

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Collecting sensitive data requires a clear institutional framework that defines the rules for handling and protecting it.

Al-Adly called for sensitive biometric data to be supervised by a sovereign entity with clear mechanisms for protection, operating within a defined legal and institutional framework. She emphasized that safeguarding citizen data must be a priority in any new digital system implementation. The MP noted that digital identity is a complex issue requiring comprehensive institutional and legislative preparation, not just a measure to solve a specific telecommunications market problem. She stressed the need for the highest levels of protection and transparency, clearly defining authorized entities and data usage mechanisms to protect citizen rights and build trust in the digital transformation system.

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Protecting citizen data must be a priority when implementing any new digital system.