Saudi Arabia Blocks Viber Messaging Service

another random user writes in with news about Saudi Arabia blocking a popular messaging service for not providing "a means to to be monitored." "The head of the messaging application Viber has said people in Saudi Arabia have had basic freedoms taken away, after his service was blocked there. Talmon Marco told the BBC he did not know the reason for the move, but that Viber would be restored soon. In March Saudi authorities warned Viber and other encrypted messaging services that they would be blocked unless they provided a means to to be monitored. Mr Marco said he had refused to provide data requested by Saudi officials. The fact that Viber's free phone and text messaging service is no longer working in the country is not entirely unexpected. The Saudi telecoms regulator had warned the firm — along with Skype and Whatsapp — that they would be blocked if they did not agree to be monitored."

Not surprising

[readingaccount]

If you want to do business in a country, you have to follow the laws. Sounds like the Saudi authorities gave clear and fair warning that the service would be blocked if the capability for monitoring was not implemented, and yet Viber chose to disregard the warning. So they were blocked.

Having said that, I do NOT agree with these laws, clearly (because I'm on Slashdot). I'm also not one to just give a pass to any country's immoral laws because "that's just how they do things". The law sucks... but it's also clear what the law is in most countries and if you don't agree to do business and follow it, well, no surprises what will happen.

Not that it really matters too much. "Viber would be restored soon" translates to "we'll implement the monitoring requirements the Saudi's want, because fuck it, we like money and would rather kick up a fuss on the BBC than actually stick to our position and pull out of a hostile country."

Re:well...

[davester666]

They'll roll either way. Some will be lopped off it they can't monitor these services. Others will be lopped off it they secretly can monitor these services.

It's just different heads depending on which case occurs.

Re:Need more Tor

[Cenan]

I don't think that is how it works in Saudi Arabia. You might be able to hide what you're doing, but that doesn't stop them from hauling your ass off to prison and beating the what out of you. You can hide behind Tor all you like, if the offense is using Tor in the first place you're screwed.

Re:Not surprising

[Anonymous Coward]

Indeed.

If I want to do business in the USA, then all my user's data has to go to the NSA.

At least the Saudi's are open about it.

Re:Need more Tor

[DrXym]

You don't necessarily need to know the contents of a message to know what it's being used for. I expect voice conversations possess particular qualities that are very hard to disguise even through encryption and using Tor and recognized nodes from your mobile phone would be a dead giveaway you were up to something. There are plenty of ways that the telco and Saudi authorities could disrupt what you were up to.