Vodafone: Government made us send pro-Mubarak text messages

Using emergency powers provisions that give it the right to order mobile phone networks to send text messages to subscribers, the Egyptian government has apparently ordered Vodafone to send a message urging citizens to confront "traitors". Check out this Flickr account for images of the messages. The  Guardian’s live blog has a translation: The Armed ...

By , a former associate editor at Foreign Policy.

Using emergency powers provisions that give it the right to order mobile phone networks to send text messages to subscribers, the Egyptian government has apparently ordered Vodafone to send a message urging citizens to confront "traitors". Check out this Flickr account for images of the messages. The  Guardian's live blog has a translation:

Using emergency powers provisions that give it the right to order mobile phone networks to send text messages to subscribers, the Egyptian government has apparently ordered Vodafone to send a message urging citizens to confront "traitors". Check out this Flickr account for images of the messages. The  Guardian’s live blog has a translation:

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.

Youth of Egypt, beware rumors and listen to the sound of reason – Egypt is above all so preserve it.

To every mother-father-sister-brother, to every honest citizen preserve this country as the nation is forever.

The Armed Forces cares for your safety and well being and will not resort to using force against this great nation.

Mobile phone service was restored throughout Egypt yesterday after operators were instructed to shut it down last Friday. Vodafone claims they are protesting the current situation and have  “made clear that all messages should be transparent and clearly attributable to the originator.” All the same, many only activists by the company’s acquiescence to the regime and have called for a boycott of its services outside Egypt. 

Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating

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