“Google and Apple – you are supporting the oppression of women”
“Debater: the App you are providing exploits and the humiliation of saudi women.”
“This is an opinion piece. It is the writer who stands for the views that are put forward in the text, not Against.”
“the DEBATE Right now is controlled and monitored women by their men, which Apple and Google allow. Saudi arabia is a brutal dictatorship where women are not considered to be of equal worth as men. It is a country that violates human rights. According to saudi law, women must have a male guardian who can give their permission for a woman to get married, open bank accounts and to travel.”
“the App Absher allows that a guardian can have full control over women with the help of different features. Absher is a public app which is also available as website, the app has been downloaded over a million times. The word ”
“the Functions include, inter alia, to pay a parking fee, renew a driver’s license, withdrawing authorization, to set restrictions on what times a woman may travel mm.”
“the Guardian for example, can blacklist certain airports and destinations. This means that if a woman is trying to leave the country, her guardian an alarm about this and can stop her. “
“There is also an sms function that sends a text message to the guardian if a woman uses her passport at check-in or border control. “
“Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and several human rights activists have criticised Apple and Google and asked them to reconsider their decision to provide the app. Neither Apple or Google have commented on the criticism. The saudi government has not commented on the criticism.”
“Women have previously had to submit a permit to the airport staff in order to travel. With Absher, it has become much more difficult for women to escape from their families. At least 1 000 women trying to escape saudi Arabia each year. Many people try to access their Absher accounts to remove restrictions – in order to then be able to escape. But it is not easy.”
“It is very worrying that companies like Apple and Google to provide this app in the Google Play and AppStore. Both Apple and Google have a policy against apps that in any way exploits or violates the people. It is just that Absher is doing.”
“We demand justice for the saudi women, and we urge Google and Apple to remove the Absher from the Google Play and Appstore. It is beneath all criticism to these businesses facilitate the oppression of women in a dictatorship.”
“Google and Apple need to take responsibility. We have hard to force saudi Arabia to change its laws – but the big players in the west absolutely should not make it easier for countries to violate human rights. Women in Saudi need us. They have the right to their freedom.”
“nGabriella Ohlzon, it’s founder to appeal”
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