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Saudi Arabia Set To Ban WhatsApp, Skype
Reuters reports that Saudi Arabia's government, after banning Viber within the kingdom, is poised to prohibit at least two other such communication apps: Skype and WhatsApp. Says the article: "Conventional international calls and texts are a lucrative earner for telecom operators in Saudi Arabia, which hosts around nine million expatriates. These foreign workers are increasingly using Internet-based applications such as Viber to communicate with relatives in other countries, analysts say." With fewer legal options, a wide-scale Internet censorship regime would be easier to implement, too.
Of course this could never happen in the land of the free
My roomate is from Saudi and he has mentioned to me on several occasions that WhatsApp is incredibly popular there. Everyone he knows uses it, including older family members. Banning something so popular would upset a lot of people...
When a regime begins using such methods as these in order to keep sitting in the saddle, its days are counted. After the demise of Saudi Arabia's current regime, within a foreseeable time now, the ensuing chaos will be unimaginable.
Religous speak to God. Insane are spoken to by God. When all shut up, one can finally hear Shostakovich in peace
I don't see you yanks spreading freedom in the saudi?
looks like its time for another payment from Microsoft!
Wealth is the gift that keeps on giving.
Skype with M$/NSA at the helm is not better.
Who logs in to gdm? Not I, said the duck.
This has been going on for a long time - Skype was banned or crippled in the UAE for a long time, but recently unblocked:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/business/technology/2013/04/08/Etisalat-unblocks-Skype-website-in-the-UAE.html
At the time, it was more about securing revenue from the lucrative expat market than locking-down protest movements.
Of course, these latter do exist, but less so in Saudi & UAE than, say, Egypt.
I guess this latest move will just drive more interest in alternatives, which are often 'open' and perhaps more secure...
http://www.pidgin.im/
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/fed-up-with-skype-here-are-6-of-the-best-free-alternatives/
Apropos of absolutely nothing, here's some open source alternatives that also offer encryption (YMMV on how robust the encryption is).
- Jitsi (formerly SIP Communicator) is an audio/video and chat communicator that supports protocols such as SIP, XMPP/Jabber as well as a bunch of other protocols. Set up an XMPP server wherever you want and you're done. (I tried to set up Jabber to use with it on a Linux box on the weekend though and hit a few roadblocks, but more tech savvy people can probably power through them.)
- Mumble - voice communications, intended primarily for gaming but will work with anything. Run your own voice servers and clients connect in, a la TeamSpeak/Ventrilo.
- RetroShare - decentralised p2p file sharing and messaging system.
Q: Why would Saudi Arabia ban communication tools such as Viber, Whatsapp and Skype?
A: Because they have no control or access to the messages passed with these apps.
According to TFA, Viber was blocked for non-compliance, and that WhatsApp and Skype may be next on the list. What is most interesting is that the regulator issued a directive in March saying tools such as Viber, WhatsApp and Skype broke local laws, without specifying which laws.
What we do know is that in 2010, Blackberry was also banned by Saudi Arabia. The reason behind the ban was because BBM did not allow their customers' exchanges to be monitored by government. The ban was lifted after BB made a deal with the government to share user data.
Skype, Viber and WhatsApp AFAIK do not share their user data (for now).
Why has Saudi Arabia become emboldened to act now? Because the disclosure of the PRISM program makes them immune from international criticism. They can rightly point out that the US government already has access to the data. It shouldn't take long for other countries to follow suit with similar demands.
all those fin-harvested japanese sharks go to retire?
I hate Islam as much as anyone who treasures freedom and abhors discrimination, but this is not the answer. There are some people who are only Muslims because leaving Islam is punishable by death, by law in most Islamic countries and in practice by "honour killings" throughout the world. Ideally all Muslims would realise that Islam is just the ravings of a power-mad pedophile war lord and has no place in a civilised world
You can chat over any TCP connection. You can chat through HTTP on a web page. Short of banning all Internet connections and all web access, they can't even come up with a legal definition that kills online chatting, let alone police it.
E-mail, facebook messaging, google talk, yahoo messaging ...
They have no clue about technology!
Sent as ripples into the electromagnetic field. No single photon has been harmed in the process.
What about a decentralised app that uses end-to-end encryption, packets masquerading as something else and maybe a dose of onion routing for good measure? Would they have a go at blocking that as well? Exactly how Orwellian are these guys?
western expats or the Saudi nationals. They are worried about the millions of Asian workers, maids, drivers, cleaners who are treated like slaves. You don't have effective control over slaves if you let them communicate with their family whenever they want. Saudi Arabia is a hell hole for millions of people who have sold themselves into effective slavery, and the US government treats the place like its main ally in the region. Something about American history tells me it's a natural alliance.
Aside from this basically being what the fucking nazi's were all about, it's an unbelievably retarded point of view to have given that the majority of muslims genuinely AREN'T trying to bother anyone. If they actually were, believe me you would fucking know about it.
Weren't the Nazis really more about killing or subjugating everyone who was not a Nazi? That actually sounds a lot like Islam as well, according to its 'holy books'.
So, yes there are some evil Hindu and Sikhs, but it is not entrenched as a specific commandment in the religion like in Islam
This impulse, that all money and resources were required to support one state-run system, and so outlawing competition was warranted, was commonly accepted throughout the West for much of the 20th century.
It still exists at the core of the promoters of single-payer medicine and public schools, where some dislike vouchers following students.
So don't lift your noses too quickly into the air.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
I'd say a good number of the Islamic, Hindu and Sihk honor killings are due to the practitioners living in hugely patriarchal countries, the religion came second.. it would be like looking at the southern US and saying that all Christians are obviously end of times gun nuts.
He tried to kill me with a forklift!
http://imgur.com/lbzhxoE
FTFY.
We now know that Skype is accessible from PRISM, and thanks to the Senator we know that they don't need a warrant, every analyst can spy on any phone the country on a whim. The same classification for voice intercepts is for VOIP content, and we also know that Skype surveillance is point and click from the PRISM leak.
So NO COUNTRY SHOULD PERMIT SKYPE, any NSA analyst can intercept it simply on a whim with a point and click.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/us-intelligence-mining-data-from-nine-us-internet-companies-in-broad-secret-program/2013/06/06/3a0c0da8-cebf-11e2-8845-d970ccb04497_story_3.html
There has been “continued exponential growth in tasking to Facebook and Skype,” according to the PRISM slides. With a few clicks and an affirmation that the subject is believed to be engaged in terrorism, espionage or nuclear proliferation, an analyst obtains full access to Facebook’s “extensive search and surveillance capabilities against the variety of online social networking services.”
According to a separate “User’s Guide for PRISM Skype Collection,” that service can be monitored for audio when one end of the call is a conventional telephone and for any combination of “audio, video, chat, and file transfers” when Skype users connect by computer alone. Google’s offerings include Gmail, voice and video chat, Google Drive files, photo libraries, and live surveillance of search terms.
I'd say a good number of the Islamic, Hindu and Sihk honor killings are due to the practitioners living in hugely patriarchal countries, the religion came second.. it would be like looking at the southern US and saying that all Christians are obviously end of times gun nuts.
You'd be wrong, check the linked article it is frequently carried out second and third generation Islamic immigrants in Western countries.
From the PRISM leak we found out that Skype and Facebook has a point and click surveillance interface via PRISM. So of course they're going to ban it, and it will be banned in many many countries, because the leak shows, the NSA can simply spy on it at will.
Facebook apps may face the same fate, since they too were revealed to have a PRISM interface with the data grab features.
"There has been “continued exponential growth in tasking to Facebook and Skype,” according to the PRISM slides. With a few clicks and an affirmation that the subject is believed to be engaged in terrorism, espionage or nuclear proliferation, an analyst obtains full access to Facebook’s “extensive search and surveillance capabilities against the variety of online social networking services.”
"According to a separate “User’s Guide for PRISM Skype Collection,” that service can be monitored for audio when one end of the call is a conventional telephone and for any combination of “audio, video, chat, and file transfers” when Skype users connect by computer alone. Google’s offerings include Gmail, voice and video chat, Google Drive files, photo libraries, and live surveillance of search terms."
Is SMS counted as US Metadata? Probably.
Is Email headers counted as US Metadata? Almost certainly.
Is the email header fields that link it to the smartphone's ID, counted as meta data? Almost certainly.
And why are those countries so hugely patriarchal? Why are women initially placed on a pedestal of purity, and in a moment dragged down and stabbed to death? Why are the majority of reported honour killings happening among Muslim populations across many countries (including the west).
Christ, the foundations of this practice are enshrined in Sharia when women are treated like chattel and punished for not seeing the world through cloth. Tell men that women must be subservient to them, and that women have little say as to how their bodies are used. Surprised then when some hairy armed unibrow is busy stabbing his sister to death for bring shame upon the family (irony lost upon him).
I am shocked that a country that forbids women to drive, kills young girls for fear they may be dressed immodestly, bans Barbie dolls and amputates the hands of thieves would stoop to such barbaric behaviour!
if you knew anything about Islam you would know that it has only one "holy book" :) :))
but there you are - in the land of the free - and totally uninformed
Then young terrorists will have to use email just as the old ones.
f you knew anything about Islam you would know that it has only one "holy book" :)
Really ?
What do you call the Hadiths ? Unholy bullshit ?
Well, you Brits caused the messy and deadly situation in the Middle East that we have now. It, as with many other "empire" and "colonial" problems, remain at your doorstep.
The irony is that after destroying the Turkish empire you have become allies with the Turkish government (through NATO and Brit-to-Turk aliances) that is just as bad as the Saudi. You changed Turkey for the worse--and you complain about the US? Hypocrite.
(Disclaimer: I am of UK descendent--only my folks rebelled and won their independence from the atrocity called Britain; I know about your dastardly tactics and strategies.)
If their telco's lowered the price of calls, then perhaps folks would not mind if Internet calling was less available.
Could it be that the reason why the article is able to point out that they are carried out in western societies, is because;
1) Those western societies are unfamiliar with the practice, and thus find it abhorant enough to make it to the news
2) Said western societies actually have a news organisation to report these matters, instead of them taking place in some backwaters hill village in the middle of nowhere.
You will probably find just as many honour killings occur in the original countries too.
Tawrat, Zabur, Injil and the Quran. I count 4
Could it be that the reason why the article is able to point out that they are carried out in western societies, is because;
1) Those western societies are unfamiliar with the practice, and thus find it abhorant enough to make it to the news
2) Said western societies actually have a news organisation to report these matters, instead of them taking place in some backwaters hill village in the middle of nowhere.
You will probably find just as many honour killings occur in the original countries too.
Absolutely, honour killings count as normal behaviour in Islamic countries. I was just refuting the assertion that people carried out "honour killings" because they came from backward countries rather than because they were following the teachings of Islam
Tawrat, Zabur, Injil and the Quran. I count 4
The Quran is the only Holy book... the rest including the Hadith are not.
Absolutely, honour killings count as normal behaviour in Islamic countries. I was just refuting the assertion that people carried out "honour killings" because they came from backward countries rather than because they were following the teachings of Islam
He said "patriarchal countries" shit head not "backward".
OK, so you don't consider highly patriarchal countries to be backward. I do.
Just because a bunch of fucked up men twist around their religion, doesnt mean the entire population following it should be condemned nor the religion be disgraced!
Yes this is exactly what I said about their being some Hindus and Sikhs. I could also add Christians. However Islam is unique in that it is a command of the religion:
Sahi Muslim No. 4206:
“A woman came to the prophet and asked for purification by seeking punishment. He told her to go away and seek God’s forgiveness. She persisted four times and admitted she was pregnant. He told her to wait until she had given birth. Then he said that the Muslim community should wait until she had weaned her child. When the day arrived for the child to take solid food, Muhammad handed the child over to the community. And when he had given command over her and she was put in a hole up to her breast, he ordered the people to stone her. Khalid b. al-Walid came forward with a stone which he threw at her head, and when the blood spurted on her face he cursed her.”
I dont see how you are any better than they are with regards to tolerance!
Because I don't advocate subduing those of other faiths, killing people who change faith, killing relatives for honour, etc.
This is Saudi Arabia. Anyone who knows anything about how that government works should only be surprised that they didn't do this long ago.
In SOVIET RUSSIA... erm...NSA AMERICA, the Internet logs onto YOU!
I dont see how you are any better than they are with regards to tolerance!
Because I don't advocate subduing those of other faiths, killing people who change faith, killing relatives for honour, etc.
Of course! You only condemn EVERYBODY following that faith. Sure u r totally not intolerant!
I dont see how you are any better than they are with regards to tolerance!
Because I don't advocate subduing those of other faiths, killing people who change faith, killing relatives for honour, etc.
Of course! You only condemn EVERYBODY following that faith. Sure u r totally not intolerant!
Of course I condemn everybody following a faith that calls for the subjugation and murder of others. I acknowledge that there may be some nominal Muslims who only call themselves that because of the death penalty for leaving, and I don't condemn these.
It is also interesting to see how you have taken an issue regarding a ban on unpaid internet communication (which in the end might as well turn out to be just a business strategy) and turned it into an anti-islamic/religious propaganda just because it comes from an arab country... of course issues like PRISM apparently dont matter! To believe in something is a person's own individual right... taking away their right to privacy and freedom is nobody's right!!! Well developed countries with well educated people- religious or non religious- are no better.
There are also those who understand the religion in its entirety and not use it to their own advantage wrecking other people's lives, yet following it peacefully the way it was meant to be followed. But of course opinionated men like you would not understand that... Just like those other men. And just like them, you choose specific portions of a text to site as examples in order to defend your own opinion/actions- just the way they use it to spread their propaganda. If only people would stop pointing fingers at each other and start practicing tolerance in their own character first, this world would be a lot more peaceful to live in.
if you knew anything about Islam you would know that it has only one "holy book" :)
but there you are - in the land of the free - and totally uninformed :))
And if only you knew what's in that 'holy Quran'
A government becomes greater when its people are stronger, smarter, faster.
As to those posters who immediately link this to Islam. Grow up please. This is just a dirty old patriarchy and such censorship has nothing to do with the religion.
What about Torchat? Have they banned it too? Or is it next on the ban-list?
Perhaps we should actively obstruct their communications to Saudi Arabia? Sounds preposterous doesn't it?
Does anyone know if WebRTC is working well enough to be a viable alternative?
The spice must flow ...
2bits.com, Inc: Drupal, WordPress, and LAMP performance tuning.
Honour killing is not mentioned anywhere in Islam, in fact it is forbidden. It's a cultural issue unfortunatelly.
I challange you to find where it is endorsed in Islam... you won't, because it's not there.
This is all about curbing the freedom of speech but will they be able to also ban apps like facebook or google+ and other social networking apps which in a way also provide the same features as that of whatsapp, skype and others.
http://www.techendeavour.com/mobile-application-development
India is fourth most dangerous place in the world for women
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/india-is-fourth-most-dangerous-place-in-the-world-for-women-poll/1/141639.html
Casteism
Honour killing is not mentioned anywhere in Islam, in fact it is forbidden. It's a cultural issue unfortunatelly. I challange you to find where it is endorsed in Islam... you won't, because it's not there.
I'll rise to the challenge:
Quran- 4:15
“If any of your women are guilty of lewdness, take the evidence of four (reliable) witness from amongst you against them; if they testify, confine them to houses until death do claim them. Or God ordain for them some (other) way.”
Sahi Bukhari: 8:6814:
Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari: “A man from the tribe of Bani Aslam came to Allah’s Messenger [Muhammad] and informed him that he had committed illegal sexual intercourse; and he bore witness four times against himself. Allah’s Messenger ordered him to be stoned to death as he was a married person.”
Sahi Muslim No. 4206:
“A woman came to the prophet and asked for purification by seeking punishment. He told her to go away and seek God’s forgiveness. She persisted four times and admitted she was pregnant. He told her to wait until she had given birth. Then he said that the Muslim community should wait until she had weaned her child. When the day arrived for the child to take solid food, Muhammad handed the child over to the community. And when he had given command over her and she was put in a hole up to her breast, he ordered the people to stone her. Khalid b. al-Walid came forward with a stone which he threw at her head, and when the blood spurted on her face he cursed her.”
Sahih Al-Bukhari Vol 2. pg 1009; and Sahih Muslim Vol 2. pg 65:
Hadhrat Abdullah ibne Abbaas (Radiallahu Anhu) narrates the lecture that Hadhrat Umar (Radiallaahu Anhu) delivered whilst sitting on the pulpit of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wa Sallam). Hadhrat Umar (Radiallahu Anhu) said, "Verily, Allah sent Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) with the truth, and revealed the Quran upon him. The verse regarding the stoning of the adulterer/ess was from amongst the verse revealed (in the Quraan). We read it, secured it and understood it. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) stoned and we stoned after him. I fear that with the passage of time a person might say, ‘We do not find mention of stoning in the Book of Allah and thereby go astray by leaving out an obligation revealed by Allah. Verily, the stoning of a adulterer/ress is found in the Quraan and is the truth, if the witnesses are met or there is a pregnancy or confession."
"many" Islamic countries I'd agree with, but I'm much more dubious about "most". And as someone who has gone to a number of such countries in the past, who will do in the future, who has had to declare my religion (atheist) on government documents repeatedly (as well as surrendering my passport before going out to work), I pay reasonably close attention to such issues. Which is part of the reason that I may have to be getting a second passport soon. Or perhaps take out dual-nationality AND getting a second passport.
"power-mad", check ; "war lord", check (so far, so different, for all national leaders of his time) but the paedophile allegation may be true by the standards of our time, but it wasn't even unusual by the power-politics standards of his time (e.g. Henry-8 of England trying to marry his 7-year-old son to the 2 year old Mary Queen of Scots)
I keep on looking for that. Do you have an address? And a space ship?
Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"