Arab Mobile Communication Studies

JEDDAH, 1 August 2005 — The camera or “visual phone conversation,” a service that is due to be launched soon, has become the subject of intense debate among many people, particularly the young.

According to a report in Al-Madinah newspaper, many people have raised concerns about the new service, wondering whether it should be launched at all or if it is anything more than a marketing ruse intended to help boost the sale of cell phones with two cameras — currently on the market.

The news alone raised the prices of these phones to more than SR2,500 per unit. Some believe that because these new cell phones are being sold in the market, it is a sure sign that the service would be launched in the near future.

People fear that this new type of technology may be abused as the service would be available to many people; men and women, old and young. People recall how the Bluetooth service was misused when it was launched in the Kingdom. Some people used the service for sending obscene photos and clips.

Al-Madinah sampled public opinion on the subject.

Abdullah Al-Ajmi, a Saudi, said he was against the MMS service as it is contrary to Saudi culture and decency. He said that the service may be misused by teenagers and young people as when Bluetooth was introduced. He said that introduction of the service may bring more problems than benefits.

“We saw what happened when camera cell phones and Bluetooth were introduced and judging from that, I feel that we are not ready for such a technology. If the service is introduced, I guarantee, 80 percent of young Saudis will misuse it.”

Habib Ali said there will be no problem with the introduction of the service and that the fears are misplaced. “Just because some people misused a certain service in the past, it does not mean a technology is bad.”

He said: “We should blame ourselves rather than blaming a certain technology. If we go by that rule, we should stop driving cars because cars are sometimes the causes of fatal accidents. Technology is not a problem; rather the problem lies in the sick minds that abuse the technology.”

Khaled Al-Gashi spoke both for and against the service. “I favor it.” he said, “because it is a good service and we will be able to reap the benefits of a sophisticated technology. At the same time I fear it may be misused by many people. I think the phone company providing the service should have some kind of monitoring to ensure that the service is not misused.”