The Saudi regime has often encouraged citizens to inform on one another, but Kollona Amn, launched by the Saudi interior ministry in 2017, has made it possible to report comments critical of the regime or behavior deemed offensive by the conservative theocracy with a few clicks. Legal-rights activists say that over the past few years, they’ve witnessed a dramatic rise in court cases that reference the app, as the country’s current leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Sultan — widely known by his acronym MBS — expands the use of technology to surveil, intimidate, and control its citizens at home and abroad.

Noura Aljizawi, a researcher at the Citizen Lab, an institution that investigates digital threats to free expression, told Insider that Kollona Amn encourages everyday citizens to play the role of police and become active participants in their own repression. Putting the state’s eyes everywhere also creates a pervasive sense of uncertainty — there is always a potential informant in the room or following your social-media accounts. “It’s very concerning. When people start losing trust, they oppress each other,” she said. …

Apple and Google both have policies restricting apps that carry a risk of physical harm, harassment, and discrimination. Neither company responded to a request for comment. This year, Google will open two new offices in Saudi Arabia and is working on a controversial data partnership with the state oil company, Saudi Aramco. Despite the company’s assurances, activists said that they don’t trust Google to safeguard their data, and they assume that government apps — of which there are dozens on the Play Store — contain backdoors or other ways to collect data.