The company denied the allegation at the time and said the suspect update was the result of a “technical fault”.Įtisalat also operates internet censorship software in UAE that blocks access to websites that contravene the country’s moral and religious values, including pornography and material that promotes gay rights. In 2009, Etisalat was accused of tricking Blackberry users into installing spyware by telling them it was a software update.

The UAE declined to comment to the New York Times about the claims. Google and Apple removed the app from their app stores in response to the report. In a separate case, the New York Times claimed in 2019 that a popular Emrati messaging app called ToTok was in fact a spying tool used by the government to track its users. Sheikh Rashid al-Maktoum is the Prime Minister of the UAE as well as ruler of Dubai. The UK High Court ruled in 2021 that Dubai leader, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, had hacked into the phones of his ex-wife Princess Haya bint al-Hussein as well as her legal advisers and staff during a row over custody of their two children. The country has attracted international condemnation for its use of online censorship and alleged attempts to spy on its citizens. If the Abu Dhabi-based firm increases its holding above 20pc, it will be able to nominate a second non-executive director to the British telecoms giant’s board.Įtisalat is 60pc owned by the UAE government.

The FTSE 100 company has formed a new strategic partnership with state-controlled e&, also known as Etisalat, which has built up a 14.6pc stake in Vodafone.Īs part of the deal, Etisalat chief executive, Hatem Dowidar, will be granted a seat on Vodafone’s board. The chief executive of the United Arab Emirates’ state-owned telecoms company is to join Vodafone’s board in a move that will deepen national security concerns about one of Britain’s critical infrastructure providers.

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