In a press statement, international mobile operator Vodafone said that Egyptian authorities have ordered the network to send pro-government messages.
“Under the emergency powers provisions of the Telecoms Act, Egyptian authorities can instruct the mobile networks of Mobinil, Etisalat and Vodafone to send messages to the people of Egypt,” read the message posted on Vodafone’s website on 3 February.
According to the statement, the mobile network operators have no influence in the content or working of the messages.
“Vodafone Group protested to the authorities that the current situation regarding these messages is unacceptable. We have made clear that all messages should be transparent and clearly attributable to the originator,” read the statement.
Messages sent via Vodafone networks include a call to a protest on Wednesday in Mostafa Mahmoud square to support President Hosni Mubarak.
