A billboard spanning one of Egypt’s biggest highways was hacked Thursday and pornographic footage was released, according to government and local media.
The billboard in Cairo’s busy July 26th Axis district became a hot topic on social media, with many people stopping their cars and taking out their cellphones to record it.
Footage shared on social media showed the porn video with the caption “Leaked by: Ch, 19ylegal Never, nivex” and the name of a Telegram channel with the username @LeakersGov.
The account posted a message on Friday: “Egypt remains under a dictatorship. The government maintains power through repression, while the country struggles to move forward. Years have passed, but nothing has changed and people’s lives have not improved.”
Egypt has functioned under military-led rule since the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013.
Egypt’s interior ministry said the screens belonged to an advertising company that had a contract with an international company.
“The website of an international company was attacked by a cyberattack, resulting in the broadcast of fraudulent footage,” the ministry said, adding that the breach occurred “simultaneously in several other countries.”
The ministry did not identify the companies or say which other countries were affected. However, local media have reported that sexual videos are being broadcast on electronic message boards in Iraq, Malaysia and Brazil.
“Legal proceedings have been initiated,” he said.
Reactions on social media were mixed, with many expressing shock while others found the incident funny. Much of Egyptian society is highly conservative, adhering to strict moral codes consistent with Islamic Sharia law.
Local governments in the region have previously been forced to turn off electronic billboards after pornographic footage was broadcast.
Egyptian courts attempt to block pornographic websites, but private online access remains widespread.
In fact, the North African country was among the top 20 countries for visited porn websites in 2025, according to Pornhub Insights. The United States took first place.
