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Monday, April 1, 2013

INTERNET | Anti anonymity Saudi Arabia threatens to establish more control online communications


Twitter and communications services like WhatsApp, Viber and Skype have become objective to control by the authorities in Saudi Arabia, a country with a tradition of tight control of informationThus, the country could try to end anonymity of Twitter users by limiting access to the service only to those who register with their identification documents. Meanwhile, local press reported that the government had consulted Riad telecommunications companies could control how, or even block, Internet phone services such as Skype. "Some Internet applications do not meet the regulations," said the Saudi telecoms regulator in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency, which cited WhatsApp, Skype and Viber , exchange services that enable audio and video through Internet. Thus, the Commission on Information Technology and Communications (CITC) asked to find ways to "compliance" without specifying the nature of potential violations thereofAccording to an industry source quoted by the AFP news agency, the country's leading mobile operators, Saudi Telecom Company (STC), Mobily and Zain, have asked the CITC take action against services that, in his view, unfairly compete in the telecommunications, which is already happening in the neighboring United Arab Emirates, which blocked Skype to protect the commercial interests of its operators.

On Twitter, well identified

Twitter is very popular among Saudis and is a common forum for discussion on topics ranging from religion to politics, in a country where political discussion is considered as improper and sometimes illegal. Earlier this month, security spokesman of the Ministry of Interior of Saudi Arabia described the social networks, especially Twitter, as a tool used by militants to stir social unrest . Meanwhile, the Grand Mufti , head cleric of Saudi Arabia, last week described the site users 'microblogging' as "clowns" who waste time with frivolous arguments and even harmful. The Internet service providers are legally required to block websites deemed pornographic content showing. One of the biggest investors in Twitter is Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Saudi billionaire , nephew of King Abdullah, who also holds significant stakes in Citi Group, News Corp and Apple through Kingdom Holding Company group.

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