Egypt moves to cut access to Internet

Opposition activists in Egypt vowed to defy a government ban and turn out by the thousands for demonstrations Jan 28, prompting authorities to apparently cut access to the Internet in an attempt to limit their ability to organize.

Egyptian officials started cutting Internet access in the country early Friday, and also moved to disable text messaging services and disrupt cellphone networks, according to a US official. The Egyptian shutdown, if continued Friday, could be the most drastic move against anti-government activists' use of technology since the Iranian government cracked down on protests in 2009. The U.S. official, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said the actions to shut down the Internet and cellphones began after midnight Thursday.