Saudi authorities using electronic tracking on women

[cali]

Electronic tracking: new constraint for Saudi women

AFP - Denied the right to travel without consent from their male guardians and banned from driving, women in Saudi Arabia are now monitored by an electronic system that tracks any cross-border movements.

Since last week, Saudi women's male guardians began receiving text messages on their phones informing them when women under their custody leave the country, even if they are travelling together.

<snip>

"The authorities are using technology to monitor women," said columnist Badriya al-Bishr, who criticised the "state of slavery under which women are held" in the ultra-conservative kingdom.

Women are not allowed to leave the kingdom without permission from their male guardian, who must give his consent by signing what is known as the "yellow sheet" at the airport or border.

<snip>

http://www.france24.com/en/20121122-electronic-tracking-new-constraint-saudi-women

[Arctic Dave]

1. I'm glad they are our friends.

I mean geez, what country doesn't want to treat the women as chattel.

[Ilsa]

2. How are they tracking them?

By putting their name in a database? Cellphone tracking?

If you used your passport to leave the country, wouldn't officials know that if an inquiry was made?

Don't get me wrong; I think this is horrible.

[HiPointDem]

5. yes, i think the reality is that we aren't too far behind; not focusing on women, but

everyone.

i guess that's equality!

[cali]

13. way to deflect from the issue of women being oppressed

[Ilsa]

18. I wasn't tryinto deflect. I was trying to

Understand how they are being tracked. If that is known, maybe it can be disabled and rendered ineffective, leaving them to go as they wish.

I don't think the broader application of the issue is a deflection. If anything, it helps me identify with them even more.

[HiPointDem]

28. i sometimes think, however, that focusing on a single group can tend to deflect

from the broader picture in cases where the same thing is happening to everyone, just at different speeds or intensities.

in such cases i think politically it can be more effective to bring attention to the big picture rather than paint it as a minority issue.

[silverweb]

3. Women as property.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Still a disgusting reality in much of the world.

[savebigbird]

4. If the men need to track women,

it makes you wonder what the men are up to to inspire such paranoia.

[sabrina 1]

6. I wonder who has provided the technology to do this?

I haven't read the whole article so don't if they provide that info. But if it is being sold by some Western Corporation we should know that and they should totally boycotted for participating in this vile practice.

[aletier_v]

7. It's called a "cell phone".

[sabrina 1]

8. We all have cell phones. How are they used in this way?

And if all cell phones can be used to track people, how do we know we are not all being tracked?

[aletier_v]

11. I hope you're joking.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_tracking

Carriers always know where you are.

In fact, I believe they're required to record this info now for a time period
in case that info is requested in relation to a crime.

[DhhD]

15. They can locate and find a lost phone. They want you to buy a new one anyway.

[aletier_v]

16. "They". Ha. You can do it yourself now, as shown in the movie "Taken 2".

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zoemob.phoneLocator&hl=en


"Phone tracker for FREE. Find a phone in minutes with the best Phone Locator
Cell phone tracker can help you find your phone for FREE. You can view and track the location of your lost phone on the map, even if the GPS is not connected."

[sabrina 1]

17. So who are the carriers who are providing this information?

Yes we know we were betrayed as a nation when the FISA bill passed and that we are all under surveillance here. We were so close to being able to sue OUR carriers for violating the law and spying on the American People. But Congress came to their rescue and passed a law which was, incredibly, made 'retroactive', turning what was illegal into legal with the consent of our elected officials.

Many of us cancelled those carriers who violated the rights of the people here. But since it's now legal to spy on all of us, at least we are not discriminatory here, everyone gets to be watched, all carriers can freely spy on every American without fear of breaking any laws.

Someone has to cooperate with the authorities to provide the information needed. Does Saudi Arabia have their own carriers, or do they use US based carriers?

[aletier_v]

20. That's an interesting question, I don't know about anything outside of the U.S.

I just think it's ironic that a country where everybody is tracked
is upset about Saudis tracking women.

Of course,that's because most of the public tricks themselves into believing that it's not true.

[sabrina 1]

21. Oh the irony struck me right away. But at least we are not discriminatory

here, the entire population has the privilege of being spied on.

However the idea that women in particular need to be watched and monitored and reported on to their husbands, adds an extra element of disgust to this.

[enlightenment]

26. The difference being, of course, that

your cell phone carrier - or even the government - is unlikely to do anything with the information. You don't really have to worry about being detained, 'chastised', imprisoned in your home . . . perhaps beaten or even murdered because you attempted to travel without your husband/father/brother/mahram's permission.

It isn't the technology (which is horrid, I agree - but hey, leave your phone at home and bingo, you're invisible), it's the result of the surveillance.

[HiPointDem]

29. we'll never know if they do, will we? leaving your phone won't help since your

email and other online activity is also tracked.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

30. thank you for busting the false equivalence

going on in this thread.

Trivializing what men are doing to women.

If it was whites doing it to blacks or straights doing it to gays or *name your group here* doing it to *name other group here*, everyone on DU would be up in arms.

[WinkyDink]

9. The canaries in the global coal-mine.

[Thinkingabout]

10. This is where some would like to take us, laws are being introduced to control women's choices.

Where will this stop, don't know but we do not own people. Sharia law at its best, women work and we even have women serving in the military and we know how to use guns also.

[fascisthunter]

12. the Republican Party would probably Agree

[Bigmack]

14. This kind of technology is wonderful...

.. for tracking wildlife.

People...not so much.

Wait... I take it back... keeping track of Karl Rove would be an excellent idea.

If he strays off his home range, could I be the one who darts him, puts an eartag on him, and turns him loose to be monitored again.

[sarcasmo]

19. Republicans monitoring the situation.

[musette_sf]

23. no kidding

this would have come in handy for the White Horse White House policies.

[ck4829]

22. How long before they put tags on their ears?

[Little Star]

24. Oh Cali....

Don't you know those women choose to be treated like that!

Makes me sick. Thanks for the post and bringing attention to this.

[get the red out]

25. I hat Saudi Arabia

And I always will. Miserable Bush family buddies. Fucking monsters.

[Zorra]

27. The entire world should embargo Saudi oil until the Saudi government

is turned over to human beings.

Why are we still trading with these hateful reptilian douchebags?