Egypt imposes SMS restrictions

  1. Posted on Thursday 14 October 2010 - 09:35
    KingsleyKobo
    Image of KingsleyKobo
    Kingsley Kobo, AfricaNews reporter in Abidjan, Ivory Coast
    Egypt's telecommunications regulator has imposed new restrictions on mobile text messages ahead of legislative elections. Adviser to Egypt's telecommunications minister, Mahmoud el-Gweini said that companies sending out text messages en masse - known as SMS aggregators - must now obtain licenses.
    Egypt imposes SMS restrictions ahead of elections
    Opposition activists argue the new regulation will hamper their ability to mobilise voters, Al Jazeera said.

    Reform groups in Egypt rely mostly on the internet and mobile phones to organise and mobilise their supporters, enabling them to sidestep government harassment.

    Egypt’s largest opposition group the Muslim Brotherhood, which is banned from political activities, used text messages as a campaign tool for its candidates in parliamentary elections five years ago, stunningly winning 20 per cent of parliament seats.

    But El-Gweini said the decision was not supposed to curb political activity, but rather to protect people from random text messages about sensitive issues.

    “People can misuse the tools in the hands of the 60 million and send the wrong messages for one reason or another," he said.

    "We are not making life difficult. We are making life organised that is all."

    Only registered political parties can apply to use mass text messages in the upcoming elections. The ruling party has already been granted a permit.

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