Activists slam Apple, Google app for Saudi men to keep track women's movements

Apple and Google are facing criticism from human rights activists for hosting an app that allows men in Saudi Arabia to track and control women's movements. According to a report in Insider on Friday, the app called "Absher" lets men give women permission to travel, and also get SMS when a woman uses her passport at the border.

For making the apps available on Google Play and Apple's App Store, the US-based tech giants have been accused of facilitating misogyny and helping "enforce gender apartheid". Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and a women's rights activist urged Apple and Google should reconsider hosting the app, Insider reported, adding that the two tech giants did not respond to its requests for comment.

Under Saudi law, it is essential for women to have a legal "guardian" who can restrict her travel. While Absher - a government service - offers other functions like paying parking fines, its travel features have been targeted by activists as it makes it difficult for women to leave Saudi Arabia.

"Apple and Google have rules against apps that facilitate threats and harassment," Human Rights Watch was quoted as saying. "Apps like this one can facilitate human rights abuses, including discrimination against women."

Amnesty International called on Apple and Google to demand changes to the app so that it can be stopped for being used to harm women. Yasmine Mohammed, a critic of Saudi Arabia, told Insider that the companies are "facilitating the most archaic misogyny" and help the Saudi government to enforce "gender apartheid".

(With inputs from agencies.)