RIYADH: Saudi Arabia yesterday defended a mobile app that allows men in the kingdom to track female relatives after rights groups and a US lawmaker criticized tech giants for offering it. The Absher app provides services for "all members of the society… including women, the elderly, and people with special needs", the interior ministry said. The free app is available on Android and Apple smartphones and allows users to renew passports, visas and eases a variety of other electronic services. The ministry criticized what it called a "systematic campaign aimed at questioning the purpose of the services". It rejected what it described as "attempts to politicize" the tool. -AFP

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