Two Saudi sisters are calling out an "inhuman" app available in their birth country which allows men "control" women by updating or withdraw permissions for female family members to travel abroad and get text updates in their passports are used.
Absher is a free government e-services app created by the interior ministry, allowing Saudis to access a wide range of government services including updating their passports, making appointments and viewing traffic violations.
The app is currently readily available on the Saudi version the Google and Apple app stores.
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Maha and Wafa al-Subaie are sisters currently seeking asylum in Georgia after fleeing their family. Wafa, 25, says the app "gives men control over women," adding, "they have to remove it," referring to Apple and Google.
The Subaie sisters say they stole their father's phone to get themselves passports and authorisation to fly to Istanbul and take refuge. "If [they] remove this application, maybe the government will do something," Wafa said.
The description on the Google app store explains that Absher has been designed and developed "with special consideration to security and privacy of user's data and communication," adding that the app allows you to "safely browse your profile or your family members, or labors working for you, and perform a wide range of eServices online."
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Shockingly, Absher has received a 4.8 out of the 5 rating on Google based on 77,166 reviews in total, and most of the user comments praise the app. However, not all are in favour, with many reviews mocking its privacy-invading functions.
One male user called the app, "The absolute BEST app for enslaving and controlling my women, and their movements," joking that although he has used other apps, Absher allows users "complete control and enslavement".
A female commenter jeered: "This app is such a breath of fresh air. As a woman, I totally can't be trusted to make even the simplest decisions, let alone trevale [sic] or whatever it's called. I finally have the freedom and convenience to have neither freedom nor convenience. Plus, I don't have to worry about accidentally joining a terrorist group, raping, enslaving, murdering, and the countless other atrocities the men do!"
She finished: "This rating was approved by my 10yr old, male guardian."
Apple's chief executive Tim Cook said in February that he had not heard of Absher but pledged to "take a look at it," the Independant report.
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Pretty52 has reached out to Apple for further comment.
Featured Image Credit: Absher