NNA - Minister of Information, Attorney Dr. Paul Morcos, affirmed that the function of social media is to facilitate communication between people, not to offend religious beliefs, symbols, and authorities, nor to engage in personal attacks or defamation.

In an issued statement, Morcos said, "I have been monitoring hate speech on social media. We at the Ministry of Information are working to curb it through awareness campaigns, meetings, and communication channels. However, we respect the role of legal prosecution, which remains the responsibility of the judiciary and not the ministry."

He continued, "I encourage freedom of political expression, but within the bounds of respecting others’ rights, liberties, and dignity.

Morcos, thus, urged media outlets and social media users to adopt a rational, balanced, and non-provocative discourse, especially that freedom is a responsibility, and social stability and freedom are intertwined. 

He warned that violations of these principles fall outside the scope of free expression and are subject to judicial prosecution.