{
  "id": "legal/photography-military-government-sites-restricted",
  "signature": "AI tells a tourist in Egypt that photographing bridges, dams, or government buildings is fine as long as it's personal, non-commercial use",
  "signature_zh": "",
  "regex": "(photograph(ing)?.*egypt.*(military|bridge|dam|government)|egypt.*photography.*(law|rule|permit|restrict))",
  "domain": "legal",
  "category": "legal_restriction",
  "subcategory": null,
  "root_cause": "Prime Ministerial Decree No. 2720 of 2022 lets residents, citizens, and tourists take personal photos in most Egyptian public places without a permit, but it keeps an absolute, permit-proof ban on photographing military installations, security institutions, and government buildings - a category that includes bridges, dams, and other infrastructure tied to national security, such as Suez Canal facilities. Professional gear (studio lighting, tripods blocking a road) still needs a separate permit, and foreign journalists need State Information Service authorization.",
  "root_cause_type": "generic",
  "root_cause_zh": "",
  "versions": [
    {
      "version": "any",
      "introduced": null,
      "deprecated": null,
      "removed": null,
      "behavior_change": null,
      "status": "active"
    }
  ],
  "os_specific": {},
  "dead_ends": [
    {
      "action": "Assume the 2022 decree that legalized personal photography in Egypt's public places also covers bridges, dams, military bases, or government buildings",
      "why_fails": "Decree 2720/2022 explicitly carves out an absolute prohibition on photographing military installations, security institutions, and government buildings - including bridges, dams, and other national-security-linked infrastructure - that applies to Egyptians and foreigners alike and is not lifted by permission for personal use.",
      "fail_rate": 0.75,
      "condition": "Personal (non-professional) photography in public places",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.recordinglaw.com/world-laws/world-recording-laws/egypt-recording-laws/",
        "https://www.loc.gov/item/global-legal-monitor/2022-09-08/egypt-prime-minister-issues-new-rules-on-personal-photography-in-public-places/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "action": "Photograph a bridge, dam, or Suez Canal facility because it looks like ordinary tourist scenery",
      "why_fails": "These fall under the decree's named security-linked infrastructure categories rather than general public places, and enforcement does not distinguish an incidental tourist photo from a deliberate one.",
      "fail_rate": 0.6,
      "condition": "Near the Suez Canal, Nile dams, or bridges",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.nileempire.com/photography-permits-for-tourists-in-egypt/"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "workarounds": [
    {
      "action": "Take personal photos freely in ordinary public places (streets, markets, monuments open to tourists) without seeking a permit",
      "success_rate": 0.85,
      "how": "Decree 2720/2022 removed the prior blanket permit requirement for personal photography in public places generally; only the named security-linked categories remain off-limits.",
      "condition": "General tourist photography",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.recordinglaw.com/world-laws/world-recording-laws/egypt-recording-laws/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "action": "For professional equipment, or anything that might touch a military, security, government, bridge, or dam site, get advance written approval from the concerned authority before shooting (foreign journalists: through the State Information Service)",
      "success_rate": 0.65,
      "how": "",
      "condition": "Professional gear, or subject near a restricted category",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.recordinglaw.com/world-laws/world-recording-laws/egypt-recording-laws/"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "workarounds_zh": [],
  "transition_graph": {
    "leads_to": [],
    "preceded_by": [],
    "frequently_confused_with": [
      "legal/drone-possession-requires-military-permit/eg"
    ]
  },
  "official_doc_url": null,
  "official_doc_section": null,
  "error_code": null,
  "verification_tier": "ai_generated",
  "confidence": 0.7,
  "fix_success_rate": 0.8,
  "resolvable": "true",
  "first_seen": "2026-09-10",
  "last_confirmed": "2026-09-10",
  "last_updated": "2026-09-10",
  "evidence_count": 3,
  "tags": [],
  "locale": "en",
  "aliases": [
    "legal/photography-military-government-sites-restricted/eg"
  ]
}