May 7th, 2008
Egypt shuts off cell anonymity
As protests continue to mount over rising food prices, Egypt is moving to keep close tabs on cellphone users. The government wants cellphone companies to close down anonymous subscribers, Reuters reports.
“Everyone who uses the telephone must be known,” Trade Minister Rachid Mohamed Rachid told a news conference, adding that the move was needed for “public security.”
Vodafone Egypt, one of three mobile operators in Egypt, has started disabling text messaging capabilities for anonymous subscribers, and was asking them to come forward with their details, a company spokesman said.
Political analysts smell a rat. There may be legitimate security reasons for the move, Elijah Zarwan said, but it sure coincides with strike plans.
“The timing raises eyebrows because it coincided with the calls for a strike,” Zarwan said. “I think it is worrisome.”
“In the last strike, the organizers took out new cell phones just for the occasion and were very, very careful of talking on their own phones with the assumption that their phones were already tapped,” he said, referring to an April 6 action.
