On 16 February Saudi Arabia defended a mobile app that allows men in the kingdom to track female relatives after rights groups and a US lawmaker criticised 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’, according to the interior ministry. It is currently free, allows users to renew passports and visas, and eases a variety of other electronic services. But critics said that the app enables abuse against women and girls by allowing men to track their movements. US senator Ron Wyden called on Apple and Google to remove the app, arguing that it promotes ‘abusive practices against women’. Saudi women must have consent from a husband or male relative to renew passports or leave the country.