The Netflix pan-Arab version of the 2016 Italian film Perfect Strangers is stirring controversy, the National reports. As7ab wala A3az — which shows a group of close friends playing a game where their most intimate secrets are divulged — has drawn criticism for its depiction of same-gender and extramarital relationships since its release last week. It became a top-trending topic on Egyptian social media over the weekend, with thousands arguing for and against it.

MP Mostafa Bakry has lodged a formal complaint about the film and called for Netflix to be blocked in Egypt — even though the film doesn’t specifically depict Egypt, and is produced by Netflix, which is neither Egyptian nor Arab. In a complaint filed at the House of Representatives , Bakry said the film’s portrayal of Arabs doesn’t reflect Egypt or the region’s moral codes, according to the National. Lawyer Ayman Mahfouz, meanwhile, has reportedly threatened to sue the Culture Ministry to have the film removed from Egyptian channels.

Capitalism continues to troll Banksy by selling his art as a fad: Celebrated British singer Robbie Williams will sell three of Banksy’s renowned artworks at Sotheby's Now Evening Auction in London, scheduled for 2 March. The auction will include pieces from Williams’ personal collection, including Girl With Balloon, Kissing Coppers and Vandalized Oils (Choppers). The artworks are expected to sell for GBP mns each. The anonymous street artist’s Girl With Balloon, which fetched GBP 1.1 mn when it debuted in 2018, is expected to have a GBP 3 mn starting price when it goes on auction, Bloomberg reports.

As if we needed to make the influencer “career” path more attractive: Instagram rolled out a subscription feature on a trial basis last week, which would allow some Instagram users to charge for subscriptions. At present, popular accounts / influencers typically monetize their content creation through sponsorships based on their follower base and reach. The service — which prices subscriptions between USD 0.99 and USD 99.99 — would be a way for these influencers to generate a steady stream of income from their content, while Instagram looks to compete with TikTok and other platforms to attract new users and retain its existing user base. The Wall Street Journal has the story.