Google refuses to remove controversial Saudi app that let men control women

SAN FRANCISCO: Google has refused to pull out a controversial government app from Saudi Arabia which lets men track and control women who travel, saying it does not violate its Play Store policies.

According to a report in the Business Insider on Sunday, the tech giant told the office of California Democrat Representative Jackie Speier, who had called for the removal of the app called "Absher", that the app does not violate its terms of service.

The US Representatives Speier, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and 11 others have demanded that Apple and Google must both remove the app.

Speier called Google's response "deeply unsatisfactory".

"The responses received so far from Apple and Google are deeply unsatisfactory. As of today, the Absher app remains available in both the Apple App store and the Google Play Store even though they can easily remove it," Speier was quoted as saying.

Apple is yet to announce its decision.

Absher allows Saudi users to access government services and also offers features which allow "Saudi men to grant and rescind travel permission for women and to set up SMS alerts for when women use their passports".

An earlier report suggested Saudi men could use the app to control female dependents.

Human rights groups such as Amnesty International have also criticised Google and Apple for allowing the app on their platforms.