WATANI International
24 October 2010
The government claims that, by banning mass text messaging by non-authorised users, it is making life…
Earlier this month, Egypt’s National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (NTRA) announced new restrictions on the use of text messaging for the dissemination of cell-phone news alerts. But is the announcement as innocent as it is made to appear? It comes on the heels of the closure of several satellite channels, the dismissal of a number of TV talk show hosts, and the firing of Ibrahim Eissa, the outspoken editor-in-chief of the independent daily al-Dostour. The new regulation stipulates that all news agencies and political parties that employ mass text messaging services—also known as SMS aggregators—obtain government authorisation in order to continue providing mobile-phone news alerts. NTRA had in recent weeks met with officials of the three mobile phone companies operating in Egypt, along with state security services, to inform them of the new regulations.
Sensitive issues
Under the new regulations, all political movements that do not enjoy official party status will be denied access to mass text messaging services. Such movements include the banned Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s largest opposition group; the National Association for Change led by the liberal Mohamed ElBaradei; the pro-democracy Kefaya movement; the Nasserist Karama Party; and the moderate Islamic Wasat Party. The move, activists say, will stifle efforts to mobilise voters ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections in December.
Tarek Kamel Minister of Communications and Information Technology to which NTRA is affiliated, declared: “We don’t intend to restrict SMS service providers. We’re only regulating their legal status.” Mahmoud al-Gweini, adviser to the minister said that the decision was not meant to curb political activity, but was spurred by concerns that “random” text messages concerning sensitive issues such as religious tensions or the stock market could be sent to consumers. Some 15 companies each need to pay USD88,000 by next week for registration licenses and an equivalent amount as a letter of guarantee. “We are not making life difficult. We’re making life organised, that’s all,” Gweini said.
Freedom at stake
“The closer we get to the parliamentary or presidential upcoming elections, the more the State’s desire to curb freedom of expression and manipulate the media”, commented Gamal Eid, head of the Arab Network for Human Rights (ANHR). “The recent setback in freedom of expression in Egypt is an obvious indicator of the State’s intention to rig the upcoming elections and to hush the opposition, in defiance to the Constitution and treaties that stipulate freedom of expression, of which Egypt is signatory”, he said.
Eid told Watani that the ANHR is intending to take steps towards defending freedom of expression. “This is very serious,” he said. “We should not be standing helpless, watching the ailing state of freedoms.”
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its two partner Egyptian organisations, the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR); and the Cairo Centre for Human Rights Studies, announced their concern regarding what they described as the recent ‘series’ of freedom-curbing decisions in Egypt. FIDH believes that this is part of an organised campaign against the press and the opposition prior to next month’s parliamentary elections.
Hafez Abu Saeda, head of EOHR, called on all civil society associations to urge the Egyptian authorities to refrain from curtailing the freedom of expression, and to allow the opposition to exercise its full legitimate rights.
Why now?
While some analysts claim that the recent restrictions are indeed intended to save mobile phone users the inconvenience of receiving text messages from unknown sources, Abu Seada argues that the timing of the regulatory decision—only a few weeks ahead of the elections—speaks for itself. The purpose of the decision, he says, is definitely not to save subscribers unwanted messages, especially that such text messaging has been ongoing for some ten years now under the nose of the State which received countless complaints from subscribers but never reacted. “So, why now?” Abu Seada says. “Mass text messaging is a major campaigning tool. The ruling regime has been lately adopting a number of policies to restrict freedom of expression.” This, he reminded, has also included TV channels.
Abu Seada talked to Watani about the practical role that can be played by Human Rights organisations. He said that EOHR was organizing a workshop this week, which would be attended by media representatives and human rights’ activists, to agree upon steps to deal with the new situation.
“This decision has no legal grounds; Article 208 of the Constitution bans censorship of publications licensed in Egypt”, explained rights activist Nigad al-Borai. The recent move reflects the regime’s worry that “it is not on solid ground”. Borai believes that the decision is futile, because technological evolution can outstrip censorship. “Soon enough,” he says, “more advanced applications that will be difficult to censor will be on the market.”