“Requiring news organizations to obtain government authorization to operate creates an obvious mechanism for restricting who gets to publish and whose voices are allowed to reach the public.”
Mada Masr applied for a license again and again. Egypt never answered, then convicted its editor, Lina Attalah, of running an unlicensed news site. The fine was 3 million Egyptian pounds, about $55,000, and the court ordered the outlet closed. A licensing office that never replies is a censorship office.