Hackers Display Porn on Cairo Billboard, Interior Ministry Says
The screen on the 26th of July Axis was compromised via a cyberattack on an international advertising client, according to Egyptian officials.
By Katherine Diallo ·
A large digital billboard on the 26th of July Axis in Cairo displayed pornographic video on Thursday, according to the Egyptian interior ministry and local media reports. The highway is one of the busiest routes in the country. Drivers stopped their vehicles to film the screen as the explicit footage played.
The video included on-screen text that read, “Leaked by: Ch, 19ylegal never and nivex.” It also listed a Telegram channel username, @LeakersGov. On Friday, that account posted a message criticizing the Egyptian government. The post stated that Egypt remains under a dictatorship and that the government maintains power through repression while the country struggles to move forward.
The interior ministry explained that the screen belonged to an advertising firm working under contract with an international company. The ministry said the international company’s website suffered a cyberattack that allowed the unauthorized footage to be broadcast. Officials noted that the breach occurred simultaneously in several other countries. The ministry did not name the company or list the other affected nations.
Local media reports indicated that sexually explicit footage appeared on electronic billboards in Iraq, Malaysia, and Brazil during the same incident. The Egyptian government said legal proceedings have been initiated in response to the hack. The ministry did not specify which legal actions were taken or which agency led the investigation.
Egypt has been governed by military-led authorities since 2013, following the overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood. Social media reactions to the billboard hack were mixed. Many users expressed shock, while others found the incident amusing. The country’s society is generally conservative, with moral codes aligned with Islamic sharia law.
Local authorities in the region have previously turned off electronic advertising boards after similar incidents involving pornographic content. Egyptian courts have attempted to block pornographic websites, though private online access remains widespread. Data from Pornhub Insights showed that Egypt ranked among the top 20 countries for visiting pornography websites in 2025, with the United States in first place.
Source: CNN
