跟踪女性的应用惹争议，谷歌坚持不下架

谷歌将继续在其应用商店中提供颇具争议的沙特应用Absher，此前，调查发现该应用并未违反其服务条款。

苹果和谷歌在上个月遭到了审查，当时，14名美国国会议员联名致信苹果的首席执行官蒂姆·库克和谷歌的首席执行官桑达·皮查伊，要求这两家公司下架该应用，原因在于它强化了允许男人控制女性动向的沙特法律。这两家公司均对这一应用发起了内部调查。

在完成调查后，谷歌向联名信的签署人之一、国会女议员杰基·斯贝尔的办公室透露，调查结果发现这一应用并未违反任何协议。苹果的调查仍在进行当中。

由沙特政府赞助的Absher能够让市民完成各类官方程序性事务，从驾照的续期，一直到男性监护人授予女性就业的法定许可等。

一些沙特人表示，该应用实际上能够节省时间，而且让这些繁文缛节更加便利，但美国律师对此持有不同看法。向苹果和谷歌另行致信的俄勒冈州参议员罗恩·维登表示：“美国公司不应该帮助实现或助长沙特政府的父权体制。”（财富中文网）

译者：冯丰

审校：夏林

Google will continue to host the controversial Saudi Arabian app Absher in its Play store after a probe found the app did not violate its terms of service.

Apple and Google came under scrutiny last month when 14 members of Congress wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai asking both companies to stop hosting the app because it reinforces Saudi laws that allow men to control women’s movements. Both companies launched internal investigations into the app.

At the conclusion of Google’s investigation, the company told the office of Congresswoman Jackie Speier, one of the letter’s signatories, that the investigation concluded the app doesn’t violate any agreements. Apple’s investigation continues.

Absher, which is sponsored by the Saudi government, allows citizens to complete a variety of bureaucratic tasks, from renewing driver’s licenses to male guardians giving women permission to seek a job, which is legally required in Saudi Arabia.

Some Saudis say the app actually saves time and makes bureaucratic tasks easier, but American lawmakers seem to disagree. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, who sent a separate letter to Apple and Google, said, “American companies should not enable or facilitate the Saudi government’s patriarchy.”