Oman blocked US audio app Clubhouse on Sunday because it did not have the right permit, authorities said, but some activists described the move as a further erosion of freedom of expression in the Gulf state.
The government did not respond immediately to a request for comment, but the telecoms regulator told WAF news website that the application was blocked due to a “lack of proper authorisation”.
“Similar communication applications must obtain a permit from the authority,” the Omani Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said.
What is Parler and why has it been pulled offline?
Oman_blocks_Clubhouse was trending on social media in Oman on Sunday. Many Omanis shared screenshots of the app showing an “error message”.
“The government of Oman takes the authoritarian government of China as a role model and bans ... Clubhouse which has been used by Omanis as a space to express their opinions freely without government censorship,” the Omani Association For Human Rights said in a statement.
Access to Clubhouse was blocked in China last month.
Launched in early 2020, the San Francisco-based app saw global user numbers soar after Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev held a surprise discussion on the platform.
The app has been popular in Arab countries where media is directly controlled by governments and commentators run the risk of being imprisoned for critical opinions.
Chinese users flock to US chat app Clubhouse
The clubhouse has faced criticism elsewhere over reports of misogyny, anti-Semitism, and Covid-19 misinformation on the platform despite rules against racism, hate speech, abuse, and false information.
The app has said it is investing in tools to detect and prevent abuse as well as features for users, who can set rules for their rooms, to moderate conversations.
“I hope that the suspension of the Clubhouse app in Oman is a result of technical issues and not a formal ban,” tweeted Omani writer Zakaria al-Muharrmi.
“Preventing people from speaking and listening to others does not protect societies, but rather increases tensions and pushes them into the abyss of chaos and confrontation.”
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ