Egypt ministry appeals against order to block YouTube

Egypt's telecoms ministry has refused to block access to YouTube and has filed an appeal to reverse a court order asking it to do so.

Last week, a judge ordered a block on access to the site for 30 days for hosting of an anti-Islam film, Innocence of Muslims, in 2012. The film sparked anger across the Muslim world.

YouTube blocked access to the video in Egypt last September after widespread riots.

A rights group also filed an appeal.

The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression in Egypt (AFTE) called the verdict "collective punishment of all YouTube and Google service users".

The group said: "Banning these websites will deprive internet users from the right of expressing themselves on those sites as well as depriving them of an important means of expression."

The country's telecoms ministry cited high technical costs when it said it could not block access to YouTube.

It added that could not legally monitor the content of social media websites.