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Apple, Google slammed for hosting Saudi woman-tracking app
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Top Stories |
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IANS | 09 Feb, 2019
Apple and Google are facing criticism from human rights activists for
hosting an app that allows men in Saudi Arabia to track and control
women's movements.
According to a report in Insider on Friday,
the app called "Absher" lets men to give women permission to travel, and
also get SMS when a woman uses her passport at the border.
For
making the apps available on Google Play and Apple's App Store, the
US-based tech giants have been accused of facilitating misogyny and
helping "enforce gender apartheid".
Amnesty International, Human
Rights Watch, and a women's rights activist urged Apple and Google
should reconsider hosting the app, Insider reported, adding that the two
tech giants did not respond to its requests for comment.
Under Saudi law, it is essential for women to have a legal "guardian" who can restrict her travel.
While
Absher - a government service - offers other functions like paying
parking fines, its travel features have been targeted by activists as it
makes it difficult for women to leave Saudi Arabia.
"Apple and Google have rules against apps that facilitate threats and harassment," Human Rights Watch was quoted as saying.
"Apps like this one can facilitate human rights abuses, including discrimination against women."
Amnesty
International called on Apple and Google to demand changes to the app
so that it can be stopped for being used to harm women.
Yasmine
Mohammed, a critic of Saudi Arabia, told Insider that the companies are
"facilitating the most archaic misogyny" and help the Saudi government
to enforce "gender apartheid".
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