The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate has rejected a new 2026 registration form issued by the country’s Ministry of Culture and Media for online platforms and digital news outlets.
They said the measure goes far beyond administrative regulation and raises serious concerns over press freedom and surveillance.
The ministry introduced the registration procedures in April as part of efforts to regulate the digital media sector, requiring online platforms and news websites to formalise their legal status.
The deadline for compliance was later extended to June 15, 2026.
According to the journalists, the form demands extensive and unusual information that goes beyond standard administrative requirements, including sensitive financial, technical, personal and security-related details about journalists and media organisations.
“The union's refusal of this form stems from its firm stance on rejecting measures that constitute a blatant violation of freedom of the press and expression. The form, in its current form, is an extension of the policies of restricting media work. It goes beyond administrative registration to building a highly sensitive database,” the group said.
Further, it raised concerns over what it described as a lack of legal safeguards governing the collection and use of data.
According to the group, the form does not explain the purpose of data collection, how it will be stored, where it will be directed, or how long it will be retained, creating what it called a serious gap in privacy and data protection.
The proposed system, the group added, could also foster a restrictive environment that heightens risks for journalists in an already fragile security environment, including from state authorities, armed groups, and other actors.
It similarly criticised a proposed “security screening” requirement, arguing that it could be used to bar journalists or media organisations on grounds unrelated to their professional conduct, effectively turning media practice into something that depends on state permission rather than being freely exercised.
“This form is not an administrative organisation tool, but a 'comprehensive compliance' model aimed at building a comprehensive information monitoring system,” the journalists said.
The group subsequently called for the immediate cancellation of the form in its current form, the development of a regulatory framework that protects professional standards without undermining freedoms and the introduction of clear legal guarantees to safeguard the personal and professional data of journalists and media institutions.
“Respecting citizens' right to media work and electronic publishing as a genuine right does not require security permits,” the group said.
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