Consumer Protection Authority bans Uber ads deemed morally offensive

Egypt’s Consumer Protection Authority (CPA) determined to pressure transportation giant Uber to remove all material relating to its recent ad campaign, which it claimed is “inconsistent with Egyptian traditions and customs,” in a statement on Sunday.

Billboards across Cairo reading, “Uber has saved me from driving my mother-in-law home 64 times,” sparked angry reactions on social media. Other ads made references to emailing while driving and avoiding the hassle of parking.

Social media users said Uber, which has been operating in Egypt since 2014, disregarded societal customs with its latest campaign.

“A mother-in-law is like a mother, it is our duty to respect her and serve her, and driving her home is a privilege and an honor,” one user commented.

The CPA said it had asked Uber officials to remove all its ads from the streets and social media, as they violate consumer protection laws that seek to uphold “personal dignity, religious beliefs and societal traditions and customs,” and to ensure that all ads in Egypt adhere to “public taste and morals.”

There was a similar response from the CPA to a campaign by local sunflower oil producer Sunny earlier this month, after the company ran a campaign many people considered to be offensive to women.

Sunny's teaser campaign featured well-known misogynistic Egyptian sayings, which the company claimed were supposed to be part of a wider campaign challenging societal stereotypes and norms. The CPA banned the ads in response to a request by the National Council for Women, arguing that they “violate women’s dignity and promote violence against women.”