Saturday, May 10, 2008

No More Prank Calls!!!

Egypt has asked mobile phone companies to block service to anonymous subscribers as a public security measure, and at least two firms have begun efforts to comply, Egyptian officials and mobile firms said on Monday.
The move comes as Egypt tries to combat a wave of public discontent over rising prices and low wages that have sparked a series of labor and anti-government strikes, organized largely by mobile phone and over the Internet.
The move is expected to affect several hundred thousand customers who did not register their names and addresses when they acquired phone lines -- still a small portion of overall subscribers in the most populous Arab country.
"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".
Cairo-based political analyst Elijah Zarwan said there were "legitimate security reasons" for the move by telecoms regulators but expressed skepticism over the timing.
"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. From Reuters

Does that mean no more prank calls to the next president?? Bummer!!! No it's not what you think, I just wanted to tell him "Alo, Baba Fain??"

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

lol... You may have to be asking that last question to his son soon..


-I'll remain anonymous while I still can