Members of congress demand Apple take down Saudi Absher app
Members of Congress have written to Apple and Google to demand the removal of the controversial Saudi Arabia government Absher app, with the companies accused of being "accomplices in the oppression of Saudi Arabian women" by offering it for download.
The Absher app has received increased criticism in recent weeks, due to its nature of curtailing the rights of women to travel and move freely in and out of Saudi Arabia. Despite criticism about the app, it is still available to download from the App Store and from Google Play, prompting increased pressure from members of Congress.
A group of 14 Democrat lawmakers have written to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Thursday about the app, reports Business Insider. Calling the app a "tracking device," the members of Congress claim the app is "used to prevent the free movement of Saudi women."
"Twenty first century innovations should not perpetuate sixteenth century tyranny," the letter states. "Keeping this application in your stores allows your companies and your American employees to be accomplices in the oppression of Saudi Arabian women and migrant workers."
The letter asks for both Apple and Google to remove Absher from each of their respective app stores, by February 28. The demand's deadline is not enforceable.
Reporting about Absher earlier in February revealed the app had the ability for men to dictate the travel plans of women under their guardianship, as according to the country's laws. The app has options to allow women to travel via specific airports and for limited durations, and how many journeys a woman could take.
More controversially, the app includes the ability for a male guardian to cancel permissions to travel at all, and for text alerts to be dispatches when specific passports are attempted to be used at ports and airports.
The app has already received criticism from campaign groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, suggesting the app helps "facilitate human rights abuses, including discrimination against women."
Senator Ron Wyden wrote a separate letter to Cook and Pichai on February 12, issuing his own plea to have the app pulled. "It is hardly news that the Saudi monarchy seeks to restrict and repress Saudi women," wrote Wyden, "but American companies should not enable or facilitate the Saudi government's patriarchy."
On February 13, Cook promised Apple would "take a look" at the app.
The Absher app has received increased criticism in recent weeks, due to its nature of curtailing the rights of women to travel and move freely in and out of Saudi Arabia. Despite criticism about the app, it is still available to download from the App Store and from Google Play, prompting increased pressure from members of Congress.
A group of 14 Democrat lawmakers have written to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Thursday about the app, reports Business Insider. Calling the app a "tracking device," the members of Congress claim the app is "used to prevent the free movement of Saudi women."
"Twenty first century innovations should not perpetuate sixteenth century tyranny," the letter states. "Keeping this application in your stores allows your companies and your American employees to be accomplices in the oppression of Saudi Arabian women and migrant workers."
The letter asks for both Apple and Google to remove Absher from each of their respective app stores, by February 28. The demand's deadline is not enforceable.
Reporting about Absher earlier in February revealed the app had the ability for men to dictate the travel plans of women under their guardianship, as according to the country's laws. The app has options to allow women to travel via specific airports and for limited durations, and how many journeys a woman could take.
More controversially, the app includes the ability for a male guardian to cancel permissions to travel at all, and for text alerts to be dispatches when specific passports are attempted to be used at ports and airports.
The app has already received criticism from campaign groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, suggesting the app helps "facilitate human rights abuses, including discrimination against women."
Senator Ron Wyden wrote a separate letter to Cook and Pichai on February 12, issuing his own plea to have the app pulled. "It is hardly news that the Saudi monarchy seeks to restrict and repress Saudi women," wrote Wyden, "but American companies should not enable or facilitate the Saudi government's patriarchy."
On February 13, Cook promised Apple would "take a look" at the app.
Comments
Our “leaders” didn’t (and don’t) give a damn when women are imprisoned and killed in Saudi Arabia, when fighting (peacefully) for equality.
Funny how this shows up after the Crown Prince gets a warm welcome on his Asia tour... like a gentle reminder not to stray.
Is this a reminder that Saudi Arabia and the USA are allies of convenience? Cough, couch... Saddam Hussein didn’t so when the alliance turned. All of a sudden, those “crimes against humanity” were of vital importance.
Politics aside, I think Apple and Google should get rid of the app. It's pretty terrible. But the Saudi's... they spend money. It will be interesting to see what each company does and what their reasoning will be.
I wish our politician spent more time worrying about what is going on inside our owe boarders and get our own house in order before they spent time worrying about what other people are doing in their own houses.
We don’t even know the extent of things on a practical level, not to mention that there are many other issues that should be much higher priority to American than policing the morals and values of other countries, especially when things we might perceive as actual problems are probably infrequent and minor.
Why, they are the very modern day expression of Sir Charles Napier, expressing their views on the modern version of Sati!
Eh, what?
Saudi is similar, but it's gender not race. And it's bad, widespread accounts of abuse oppression and murder. That's why outsiders are intervening--it's that bad.
Driving a car must be nice for Saudi women--but only if their 'guardians' let them leave the house.
Some Saudi women are prisoners in their own homes, perfectly legal. If a woman doesn't behave to her guardian's liking he can throw her in a 'care home' (spelled prison) where she may remain indefinitely.
If a guardian is loving and civilized, a woman under his thumb has freedom of movement. If he's a tyrant, she has absolutely no recourse.
Her only option is to flee the country. And ABSHER app enables her abuser to prevent her escape. Suicide for Saudi women is common. Depression is rampant. What's happening to women in Saudi is on par with racial apartheid of South Africa. That is why outsiders are attempting to intervene.
See #SaudiWomenSpeak for first-hand accounts.