DUBAI: Human rights groups urged three Gulf Arab states on Wednesday to lift bans on free internet calls to help their large migrant workforces stay in touch during the coronavirus pandemic.
A majority of the estimated 17 million people living in the three Gulf states are expatriates, most of them low-paid workers from Asia. They have unblocked apps that allow for distance learning such as Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, Google Hangouts, and Zoom. Microsoft Teams and Zoom are also available in Qatar.State-owned telecom firms in the UAE have also introduced a new app, UAE Voice, that allows for free video and audio calls.
"Denying the Gulf population access to these platforms puts people at serious risk, as this cuts them off from their communities abroad and the resources they need in times of such crisis," they said.
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