The Saudi regulator is pressuring operators to crack down on Skype and similar OTT applications. It affects both Saudis and the many expatriate workers who live there. This will require deep packet inspection and some serious interventions in the data streams.
Saudi students on scholarships who use the Skype video application to contact their parents are also disappointed.
“I really don’t understand what they mean by monitoring. Are they going to tap into the conversations I have with my mother and sister? Does that mean they are going to have to wear the veil when they open the camera for me?” pondered Khalid Tunsi, a finance student in the US. “If they cut off these applications, it will make my life really difficult because with this technology I am able to see my mother every day,” he added.Tunsi’s mother is also concerned with this news, saying this application has bought her comfort. “No one understands what I’m going through; my only son is living a million miles away and he only receives one ticket per year from the Saudi Cultural Attaché to come home for a visit,” she said. “If they take these applications away from me, I will really be depressed.”
WhatsApp is an application that businessmen such as Hani Ayyash use to communicate with his employees and clients for free. “I have created a group for my colleagues and employees, especially when I’m traveling, as I need to be informed about any updates,” he said. “Is CITC giving us lower rates after banning free applications that everyone uses? I believe they should provide us with a replacement because all we want is to obtain lower rates and free communication technology,” he added.
Security issues are the stated reason, according to the report.
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