admin Human rights groups have called on the 3 Gulf states to lift the ban on free internet calls during the global pandemic Coronavirus so that the masses of migrants there can stay in touch.
French news agency AFP reports that Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have long blocked various voice and video calling applications while protecting the state’s telecoms’ commercial interests.
In its statement, human rights groups said that the restriction caused severe problems for those living in those countries, especially the majority of immigrant workers and foreign residents who want to talk to their families and communities abroad.
It should be noted that in these 3 Gulf countries there are about 70 million immigrants, mostly from low-paid workers who are from Asia.
During the global outbreak of the Coronavirus, the UAE and Oman eased the ban on some calling apps, but on a temporary basis.
They have blocked applications that allow for Distance Learning such as Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, Google Hangouts and Zoom, plus Microsoft Teams and Zoom are also available in Qatar.
In addition, the state-of-the-art telecom companies in the UAE have introduced some new apps, which allow free voice and video calls to the UAE.
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However, a joint statement by human rights watchdogs and 28 other civil society groups said that despite calls for continued policy changes among global pandemics, popular apps like WhatsApp, Skype and FaceTime should be unblocked.
