Middle East...:Saudi Arabia to Block Instant Messaging Phone...

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Saudi Arabia to Block Instant Messaging Phone Application WhatsApp

Local Editor

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia plans to block the Internet-based communication phone application WhatsApp within weeks if the U.S.-based company fails to comply with requirements set by the kingdom's telecom regulator.

The kingdom appears to be making a greater push for more control over cyberspace as Internet and smart phone usage soars, in part due to strict laws that limit opportunities for people to mix in person, Reuters reported.

"We have been communicating with WhatsApp and other similar communication platforms to get them to cooperate and comply with the Saudi telecom providers, however nothing has come of this communication yet," Abdullah Al-Darrab, governor of the CITC, told Arab News.

Al-Darrab said Viber was blocked last week as it was difficult for the state to monitor and deprive telecom companies of revenue generated from international calls and texts, while mentioning that WhatsApp and Skype may be next on the list.

The CITC chief said that the block was highly likely to commence before the holy month of Ramadan, expected to begin on July 9.

The regulator issued a directive in March saying tools such as Viber, WhatsApp and Skype broke local laws, without specifying how.

Local media reported at the time that Saudi Arabia's three main operators Saudi Telecom Co, Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) and Zain Saudi had been asked to tell CITC if they were able to monitor or block such applications.

Mobile penetration was 188 percent by the end of 2012, CITC data shows. Saudi Arabia now has 15.8 million Internet subscribers and the average user watches three times as many online videos per day as counterparts in the United States, according to YouTube.

Source: News Agencies, edited by website team