Egyptian TV advert banned for 'promoting violence against children'

Egypt's Consumer Protection Authority (CPA) has banning a TV advert for Etisalat, one of three telecomms companies operating in the country, for "promoting violence against children".

The advert features a man on his deathbed, surrounded by a grieving family.

When he calls his son over for a final goodbye, reminiscing about their good times together, the son asks his father if he remembers where he put his Etisalat Sim card. The man then slaps his son in the face.

Under the slogan "The Sim-card must return", the advert is part of Etisalat's latest campaign that promotes the reuse of old Sims.

"[The advert] violates personal dignity, religious values, and traditions," said CPA chief Atef Yaqoub in the statement. "It also promotes physical violence and hatred, and it encourages parents to beat their children."

Yaqoub added that the decision to ban the advert came in response to viewers' complaints.

The advert has been airing for over a year, but an Etisalat spokesperson told Egyptian Streets that this was the first time the company had received a formal CPA complaint about it.

Etisalat has been informed of the ban and has subsequently notified satellite channels to stop airing the advert.

In June, a TV advert for Fox potato crisps was banned by the CPA over similar concerns of promoting violence against children.

The Fox crisps advert featured a teenager telling his father he could predict the future when eating Fox crisps. The father then slaps his son and asks "did you predict that?"