Dubai: Whatsapp, an application that allows users to send unlimited text messages over 3G telecom networks or WiFi, could be banned in Saudi Arabia within weeks, a Saudi daily has said.
Al Eqtisadiya on Tuesday reported that the US company operating the application was most likely to reject Saudi demands to comply with local rules.
According to the daily, initial correspondence between the Saudi telecommunication authorities and the company were positive, but later indicated that the Saudi “regulatory requests” might not be met, which would result in the blocking of the application.
Last week, Saudi authorities banned Viber, the popular internet messenger application, for allegedly failing to comply with the country’s regulations.
However, on Monday, Sabq, citing technical sources, said that the application was restored and that users were able to send and receive calls and messages.
The report did not specify whether the application company complied with the requirements imposed by Saudi Arabia or if it found “other ways”.
Viber is hugely popular among the millions of expatriates living in the country and among the thousands of Saudis studying abroad and their families.
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