Shoura members speak out against telecom regulator

Shoura Council members have criticized the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) for what they described as the increasing costs of Internet services, and for not doing enough to block pornographic content.

Nora Al-Adwan said 37 percent of the population uses Internet services, with a large proportion being young people and children. 
She called on the CITC to ensure there are proper controls over social media sites where pornography is available.
Abdullah Al-Fifi said telecommunication services are becoming increasingly expensive even though there has been considerable investments in these companies.
Khader Al-Qurashi said the CITC must return to its mandate of protecting consumers against the “greed” of telecommunication companies.
He said the CITC should also improve the standards of wireless services. 
Abdulrahman Al-Atawi said that the Shoura was concerned about the easy access to pornography on the Internet. 
It was the duty and mandate of the Shoura to protect the public, he said.
Several members, at a meeting of the Shoura’s telecommunications committee, urged the CITC to look at ways to improve the quality of services in the Kingdom’s cities. 
The CITC was urged to respond to the comments of Shoura members at the next session.
The Shoura, meanwhile, called on the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization to work with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to assess the performance of private Saudi laboratories.