Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s government has launched its latest assault on personal freedoms with the successful first reading of a bill that would monitor users of social media. The justification for the intrusion into speech freedoms is to combat “false news.” Rights groups have reported the names of some 500 social media websites that have been blocked by Sisi’s government. The Supreme Council for Media Regulation would be empowered to monitor any website with 5,000 followers if the legislation passes its second reading and President Sisi signs it into law. Other legislation speaks vaguely to criteria for silencing any website considered to be threatening to Egypt’s security or economy. Critics argue the triggers to action are too unclear to properly pursue.