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According to the reports, the American search engine giant Google Inc has refused “to remove one of the most controversial government app of Saudi Arabia which allows the men to track and control women who travel from play store, by stating that the app does not violate its Play store policies.”
The response from the Google has come a week after the 14 members of Congress including Congresswomen Jackie Speier last month demanded the Google and Apple to remove the one of the Saudi Arabia‘s most controversial app called “Absher” from their app stores, on the ground of imposing restrictions of women’s independence and reinforcing the Saudi’s laws which allow men to control women’s movements.”
After the demand from the Congressmen’s on the removal of the app, both the company Apple Inc and Google launched its internal investigations on the app.”
Where the Google investigation in its concluding letter told the office of congresswomen, Jackie Speier, that we could not remove the app from the play store as the app doesn’t violate its play store policy .”
To which in the response, Spier said that “The responses received so far from Apple and Google are deeply unsatisfactory. As of today, the Absher app remains available in both the Apple App store and the Google Play Store even though they can easily remove it.”
On the response to the reports, the Human right groups Amnesty International has also criticized both Google and Apple for allowing the app on their platform and for not taking action on the app.
About Absher
Absher app is run by the Government of Saudi Arabia, which allow its citizen to complete the bureaucratic tasks which include renewing the driving licenses to allowing a male guardian to grant permission to women to seek a job to control the women’s travel plan.