[LINK] Vodafone: the dictator made us do it

[Ivan Trundle]

On 07/02/2011, at 3:29 PM, David Boxall wrote:

> * Vodafone sends pro-regime text message to all subscribers. I've heard 
> no reports that any other provider did the same;

Try Raphael Satter, of Associated Press: 

"Egypt's Mobinil and the United Arab Emirates' Etisalat — were doing the same. Etisalat, known formally as Emirates Telecommunications Corp., declined comment."

Or Bloomberg's Jonathan Browning and Thomas Perry on 4 Feb: 

"Egyptian authorities instructed the local mobile-network operators, which also include Etisalat and France Telecom SA’s Mobinil service, to send messages under emergency powers provisions. Vodafone, the world’s biggest mobile-phone operator, said yesterday that the messages were not written by the mobile- phone operators.

“The Armed Forces urge Egypt’s loyal men to confront the traitors and the criminals and to protect our families, our honor and our precious Egypt,” said a Feb. 1 text message sent on Vodafone’s network and obtained by Bloomberg News.

A Vodafone spokesman declined to comment on the details of the messages the U.K.-based company was ordered to send. France Telecom said Mobinil is being given similar orders.

Vodafone shares rose 0.6 percent to 178.1 pence as of 10:33 a.m. in London trading today.

“Messages with army endorsement concerning national security and general safety were the only messages processed by Mobinil,” France Telecom said in an e-mailed statement yesterday. “France Telecom strongly disapproves of any message of a political nature that runs against the neutrality principle which defines our role as a network operator.”

Representatives for Emirates Telecommunications Corp., known as Etisalat, didn’t return calls seeking comment."

iT