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The Saudi government is lifting a ban on calls made through online apps on Thursday, however, it will monitor and censor them, a government spokesman said.
All online voice and video call services like Microsoft’s Skype, Facebook’s WhatsApp and Messenger, and Rakuten’s Viber which satisfy regulatory requirements were set to become accessible overnight.
However, on Thursday, Messenger and Viber appeared to remain blocked inside the kingdom.
Adel Hameed, spokesman for telecoms regulator CITC, said on Arabiya TV that new regulations were aimed mainly at protecting users’ personal information and blocking content that violated the kingdom’s laws.
“Under no circumstances can the user use an application for video or voice calling without monitoring and censorship by the Communications and Information Technology Commission, whether the application is global or local.”
All online voice and video call services like Microsoft’s Skype, Facebook’s WhatsApp and Messenger, and Rakuten’s Viber which satisfy regulatory requirements were set to become accessible overnight.
However, on Thursday, Messenger and Viber appeared to remain blocked inside the kingdom.
Adel Hameed, spokesman for telecoms regulator CITC, said on Arabiya TV that new regulations were aimed mainly at protecting users’ personal information and blocking content that violated the kingdom’s laws.
“Under no circumstances can the user use an application for video or voice calling without monitoring and censorship by the Communications and Information Technology Commission, whether the application is global or local.”
