MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th May, 2021) A total of 39 human rights and digital privacy rights organizations, as well as individuals urged Google on Wednesday to immediately reverse its decision to establish a new so-called Google Cloud region in Saudi Arabia until the tech giant can publish steps it will take to mitigate adverse human rights abuses.
The US company announced its plans to build cloud infrastructure last December after reaching a cooperation agreement with the country's energy giant Saudi Aramco. The decision sparked a strong backlash among digital rights activists fearing that users' data may be at risk in a country with a poor human rights record.
"The undersigned human rights and digital rights organizations urge Google to immediately halt its plan to establish a new Google Cloud region in Saudi Arabia until the company can publicly demonstrate how it will mitigate adverse human rights impacts," the groups said in a joint statement published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) that is also a signatory to the appeal.
The groups consider the Arab nation as unsafe to host Google Cloud services, as it is known for alleged espionage and infiltration of technology platforms, as well as the use of cybersurveillance software to spy on dissidents, and suppressing all public dissent, among other things.
"It is additionally concerning that Google's Cloud region will be in partnership with a state-owned company, Saudi Aramco," the statement noted.
The groups also said that establishing a Google Cloud region in Saudi Arabia posed potential human rights risks, such as violations of the rights to privacy, freedom of expression and association, despite the tech company regularly publishing how it handles government requests for customer information and reporting when requests are made through formal channels.
