Saudi Arabian authorities are considering imposing a ban on smartphone messenger service WhatsApp, Internet calling service Skype, and several other messaging services.
"The Communications and Information Technology Commission has requested companies operating the applications to meet the regulatory requirements to avoid their suspension in the kingdom," sources told Saudi news site Sabq.
Several internet-powered messaging services, along with social media networks, have caught the attention of the country as they allow powerful, boundless communication. The government isn't happy with their growing popularity as it goes against their conservative policy of limiting freedom of expression.
Last month, Saudi began censoring content on Twitter according to a report by the Saudi Al-Watan Online. The country's authorities believe that people must be sensitive about their content on social media websites and must take care to avoid hurting the sentiments of others.
The country has made similar bans in the past. There was a bank on the use of BlackBerry phones to send and receive messages in 2010. The government said that since Blackbery Messages were encrypted, they could not be monitored to check terrorism.
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