Absher (service of state services)

2019: Scandal with tracking women in Saudi Arabia

In February, 2019 in Saudi Arabia scandal, work-related the application for state services which allows men to monitor women ran high.

The Absher application developed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Saudi Arabia is intended for filing of applications on obtaining the passport, registration of the car, etc. Department uses the program for collecting and data processing about citizens.

At the same time men can receive through Absher a name list and passport numbers of women and children and also to limit their movement.

The authorities of Saudi Arabia released the application allowing men to monitor women

In the application which is in App Store and Google Play lists of those who are in borders of the country and those who left Saudi Arabia on training or rest are output. Men can specify the exact number of departures which the woman can make from their permission and also define for what period the trip is made.

Representatives of Amnesty International human rights organization already addressed Apple and Google with the requirement to estimate position of women in which they are put by functionality of this application.

Use of Absher for restriction of freedom of movement of women once again emphasizes danger of a system of discrimination and need of original reforms in the field of human rights in the country —  said  in the organization.

Senator from Oregon officially appealed to Apple and Google to delete the application to stop "disgusting supervision and control over women".

 The Apple CEO Tim Cook  in an interview of NPR told that he heard nothing about a case with Absher, but promised to understand a situation.

The Saudi "laws of guardianship" over women impose restrictions for many spheres of life. Each woman, irrespective of age, has "trustee". In its role the husband, the brother or the son can act. Without the permission of the trustee the woman is forbidden to move, receive freely the passport, some medical services and to marry.^[1]

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