Vodafone Network Seized by Egyptian Authorities to Spread Propaganda Via Text Message

Vodafone released a statement yesterday confirming that the authorities in Egypt seized their network to send propaganda text messages to the Egyptian people.

Such text messages have been sent since the start of the protests in an attempt to cool tensions among the protestors who are demanding that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak step down. According to the statement from Vodafone, Egyptian authorities utilized the emergency powers provision of the Telecoms Act in order to demand that Vodafone send the messages that were scripted by Egyptian authorities.

Vodafone is legally required to send the messages, but they have expressed concerns that the situation regarding these messages is inappropriate. Vodafone has made their position clear to the Egyptian government; they believe that any mass texts sent to the people of Egypt should be honestly attributed to the government in the name of transparency.

Photos posted on Flickr show and translate the text messages which say: The Armed Forces asks Egypt's honest and loyal men to confront the traitors and criminals and protect our people and honor and our precious Egypt.

This is just the latest incident of Egyptian authorities interfering with communications companies in order to quell dissent within the nation. Last week, the government asked Vodafone to cut off their services all together. This coincided with Egyptian ISPs severing ties to the internet, and action that was widely speculated to be carried out at the behest of the Egyptian government.

ISPs returned to service Wednesday as unexpectedly as they had disappeared, and as of now, internet traffic appears to back to normal. As far as we can tell, Egyptian authorities continue to utilize emergency powers to send mass text messages to the people of Egypt.

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