Washington: Saudi Arabian authorities have warned that they will block access to popular Internet messaging applications like Skype, Viber and WhatsApp if telecommunication providers there don`t comply with rules and regulatory conditions.
A statement from Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Commission released via the country’s state-run media said ‘the Commission emphasizes that it will take appropriate action regarding these applications and services in the event of failure to meet those conditions.’
The statement did not address how the applications in question were violating any rules, CNN reports.
But it did highlight the need for service providers in the country to quickly "work with the developers of these applications to meet regulatory requirements.”
According to the report, the announcement came in response to local media reports last week claiming the CITC, the country`s telecommunications regulator, had asked Saudi telecom companies to allow the government to monitor those applications and had given them until Saturday to respond.
ANI
