Art. 8 of Egypt's Law No. 151 of 2020, Promulgating the Personal Data Protection Law, requires any controller or processor to appoint "a competent employee to be responsible for the protection of Personal Data, inside its legal entity and among its personnel structure. This employee shall be registered in the register designated for the Data Protection Officers at the Center" (Data Protection Center). In addition, according to Art. 5.12, processors outside of the Arab Republic of Egypt are required to appoint a representative in the country.

Law No. 10 of 2003 sets restrictions on Telecom Egypt, which is the monopoly operator of the fixed internet services and infrastructure market. Art. 63 stipulates that "the shares of Telecom Egypt can be offered for sale at a partial value of the Company capital upon a decree from the Cabinet with the condition that the greater part of the capital remains State-owned".

According to Art. 1 of the Ministerial Decree No. 2310 of 2017, there is a joint venture requirement for companies operating in trade sector projects, with possible exceptions for entities operating in remote areas. The requirements to be licensed as an approval office include: (i) the applicant must be a joint-stock company, and its activity must be limited to the work of an approval office; and (ii) the applicant must have the necessary financial and human resources enabling the issuance of approvals.

It is reported that the government owns 70% of Telecom Egypt's shares, and the rest are free to float. In addition, Art. 63 of Law No. 10 of 2003 stipulates that the shares of Telecom Egypt can be offered for sale at a partial value of the Company capital upon a decree from the Cabinet with the condition that the greater part of the capital remains State-owned.

Law No. 159/198 mandates that a minimum of two members of a company’s board of directors must be nationals. Reports indicate that this requirement extends across various sectors, including computer and related services, telecommunications, and internet services. Art. 181 stipulates that the Government must be represented by at least two members on the administrative boards of companies for which it guarantees a minimum level of profits.

It is reported that Egypt does not mandate functional separation for operators with significant market power (SMP) in the telecom market. However, there is an obligation of accounting separation.

According to Art. 281 of the Executive regulations of the Companies Law, at least one manager of a limited liability company must be a national.

Art. 64 of Law No. 10 of 2003 on Telecommunication Regulations requires each operator and provider, at their own expense, to provide within the telecommunication networks licenced to them, all technical possibilities, including equipment, systems, software and communications, to enable the armed forces and national security entities to exercise their powers within the law. This could include capabilities for decrypting encrypted communications. Contravention of this prohibition is a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment and a fine of between EGP 10,000 and 100,000 (approx. 635 and 6350 USD).

As a general rule, a foreign investor must apply for a security clearance as part of the procedure for investing in Egypt or setting up a company. Among the procedures and steps to be followed and documents required in the incorporation of companies and establishments, in accordance with Investment Law No. 72 of 2017 and Law No. 159 of 1981, are forms of the security background check for foreign founders or partners. Submission of the form in itself does not hinder investment in Egypt, except for certain nationalities where the security authorities do not allow for investment before clearance has been obtained. In addition, foreigners' investment, conducting business, and ownership of real estate properties in Sinai have some security-related restrictions, whereby the prior approval of the Sinai Development Authority is required.
It is reported that the security screening process is often lengthy, although companies are able to operate while they wait for approval. However, if the firm is rejected, it must cease operations and undergo a lengthy appeals process. Businesses have cited instances where Egyptian clients were hesitant to conclude long-term business contracts with foreign businesses that have yet to receive a security clearance. They have also expressed concern about seemingly arbitrary refusals, a lack of explanation when a security clearance is not issued, and the lengthy appeals process.

Only Egyptian joint-stock companies incorporated in accordance with Egyptian law can apply for and obtain Internet Service Provider (Class A) and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) Licenses in Egypt. This means that ISPs and VOIP services of foreign providers with no commercial presence in Egypt and minimum Egyptian stocks are not permissible in Egypt.

Only Egyptian joint-stock companies incorporated in accordance with Egyptian law can apply for and obtain Internet Service Provider (Class A) and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) Licenses in Egypt. This means that ISPs and VOIP services of foreign providers with no commercial presence in Egypt and minimum Egyptian stocks are not permissible in Egypt.

Egypt has appended the World Trade Organization (WTO) Telecom Reference Paper to its schedule of commitments.

Art. 52 of Egypt Implementing Regulations for Law No. 82 of 2002 on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights requires an applicant who is not a resident of the Arab Republic of Egypt to appoint an Egyptian patent agent to whom all notifications, documentation, and submissions provided for under the Law or these Regulations shall be sent.

Egypt has a telecommunications authority: The National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Egypt (NTRA). However, it is reported that the decision-making process of this entity is not fully independent from the government.

While it is reported that Egypt is striving to strengthen intellectual property (IP) protection and enforcement to counter cases of piracy and reduce patent backlogs, there are also concerns about the lack of an effective mechanism for the early resolution of potential patent disputes.