# AI tells a tourist in Egypt that photographing bridges, dams, or government buildings is fine as long as it's personal, non-commercial use

- **ID:** `legal/photography-military-government-sites-restricted`
- **Domain:** legal
- **Category:** legal_restriction
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 80%

## 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.

## Version Compatibility

| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated |
|---------|--------|------------|------------|
| any | active | — | — |

## Workarounds

1. **Take personal photos freely in ordinary public places (streets, markets, monuments open to tourists) without seeking a permit** (85% success)
   ```
   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.
   ```
2. **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)** (65% success)

## Dead Ends

- **Assume the 2022 decree that legalized personal photography in Egypt's public places also covers bridges, dams, military bases, or government buildings** — 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. (75% fail)
- **Photograph a bridge, dam, or Suez Canal facility because it looks like ordinary tourist scenery** — 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. (60% fail)