Vodafone: Egypt Forced Us to Spread Propaganda

An Egyptian boy looks at a polling station, next to an election poster of presidential candidate Mohammed Morsi, with Arabic that reads, "Mohammed Morsi, president for Egypt, revival is the will of the people," during the first day of the presidential runoff, in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, June 16, 2012. Egyptians voted Saturday in the country's landmark presidential runoff, choosing between Hosni Mubarak's ex-prime minister and an Islamist candidate from the Muslim Brotherhood after a race that has deeply polarized the nation. The two-day balloting will produce Egypt's first president since a popular uprising last year ousted Mubarak, who is now serving a life sentence. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser) / Nasser Nasser

LONDON - Egyptian authorities forced Vodafone to broadcast government-scripted text messages during the protests that have rocked the North African nation, the U.K.-based mobile company said Thursday.

Micro-blogging site Twitter has been buzzing with screen grabs from Vodafone's Egyptian customers showing pro-government text messages sent to them in the run-up to the violent clashes in central Cairo that broke out on Wednesday.

Vodafone Group PLC said in a statement that Egyptian authorities had been using the country's emergency laws to script text messages to its customers since the beginning of the unrest. The company said it had no ability to change the content of the messages.

"Vodafone Group has protested to the authorities that the current situation regarding these messages is unacceptable," the statement said. "We have made clear that all messages should be transparent and clearly attributable to the originator."

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Vodafone has already come under fire for its role in the Internet blackout that cut Egypt off from the online world for several days. The company said the order to pull the plug on its Egyptian customers could not be ignored as it was legal under local law.

The company noted in its statement that the Egyptian government also has the power to compel other mobile operators, including Egypt's Mobinil and Etisalat, to send pre-scripted text messages.

It was not clear whether those companies were also involved. Vodafone did not immediately return a call seeking comment on the exact nature of the government messages, although Twitter users described them as carrying patriotic messages as well as attacks on "traitors."

[jumkey]

Corporations *always* follow the money - and the money is with the government. How many corporations cooperated with the Nazis? All of them.

Vodaphone thought they could get away with it. That's why they did it.

[imthaid]

Vodaphone could have EASILY countered the messages with a follow up of their own messages explaining that they had no control over Egypt's texts. Sorry, not buying it. These companies could care less who gets lied to as long as they still have their customers money. Sorry Vodaphone, sell your rhetoric elsewhere.

[rationall7]

I have to agree, Vodaphone looked like a duck, walked like a duck but didn't quack with their own disclaimer but then again they are up against a 30 year dictator.

[JRC_903]

First off.. If you want to say someone does not care about something.. say "they could NOT care less" Second, it would take a very brave soul to defy any sovereign government's order--even if that order was found to be illegal. The government ordered the system enabled just for just long enough to send this one message. That said-- the government of Egypt by this very act, and the act hiring private thugs to molest this crowd of peaceful protesters has forfeited its right to exist.