Press Releases

Magyar Telekom to cooperate with authorities in investigation of automated calls

Budapest, June 8, 2009 09:00

Magyar Telekom confirms in the context of the cases of campaign silence violation established by the National Election Committee that no one has ordered the automated telephone calls from Magyar Telekom, and no one could have ordered them either because the company does not have such a service. Under the effective regulations, Magyar Telekom as service provider may not learn, control or judge the content of the telephone calls made on its network. As soon as the authority with appropriate powers orders, Magyar Telekom will take the necessary actions and cooperate with the authorities to review the regulatory situation and to meet the legitimate requests of the authorities.

At its June 7 meeting the National Election Committee (OVB) decided that those automated telephone calls which encouraged people to go to vote during the day, were against the law. The OVB established in the case of the formally appropriate complaints that the automated telephone calls violated the campaign silence order. The body had to establish the fact of violation of campaign silence also if it is not known who committed the act. The OVB decided to file a complaint with the police over the automated telephone calls on suspicion of violation of the order of the election. OVB has also decided to solicit information in writing from the National Communications Authority about the regulation of automated telephone calls.

No one ordered, and no one could have ordered the automated telephone calls from Magyar Telekom, because we do not provide such a service. Under the effective regulations, Magyar Telekom as service provider may not learn, control or judge the content of the telephone calls made on its network. In compliance with the effective regulations Magyar Telekom will take the necessary actions as soon as the authority with appropriate power orders them. As a law-abiding service provider, Magyar Telekom will cooperate with the authorities in the review of the regulatory situation and will also meet any legitimate request of the authorities.