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CITC Implements Regulatory Framework to Beef up Cybersecurity in Saudi Arabia

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AFP)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AFP)
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CITC Implements Regulatory Framework to Beef up Cybersecurity in Saudi Arabia

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AFP)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) on Saturday announced the implementation of a regulatory framework to beef up cybersecurity in the Kingdom.

The “cybersecurity regulatory framework” for service providers in the communications, IT, and postal (services) sector aims to raise the security levels of service providers.

It aims to ensure the implementation of adequate cybersecurity measures according to the best international practices.

In a statement, CITC said the regulatory framework contains a comprehensive set of cybersecurity requirements and controls that will contribute to regulating the communications, IT and postal service sectors.

The framework ensures an increase in the level of confidence in the integrity of the infrastructure of service providers, and the application of best practices to develop appropriate cybersecurity measures.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Province Municipality has presented, through the Municipal Investment Portal "FORAS", new investment opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs.

Mayor of the Eastern Province Fahad Al Jubeir noted that these opportunities fall under a package of 44 investment opportunities in various cities and provinces.

Undersecretary for Investments at the Eastern Province Municipality Eng. Hamdan Al-Aradi said that there are significant changes in the provisions of the regulation on disposing of municipal real estate, both in terms of improving contractual terms, by increasing the contract period from 25 to 50 years and reducing bank guarantees from 100 to 25 percent.

Aradi indicated that optimal utilization of municipal real estate was empowered by investing in public parks within two years of adopting the scheme instead of five years, which would increase the number of parks, raise the standard of residential neighborhoods and improve quality of life.

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Google Wins Delay in Opening Android App Store to Rivals

Google app is seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. (Reuters)
Google app is seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. (Reuters)
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Google Wins Delay in Opening Android App Store to Rivals

Google app is seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. (Reuters)
Google app is seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. (Reuters)

A US judge on Friday let Google delay opening Android-powered smartphones to rival app shops, suspending a November 1 deadline ordered in an antitrust case brought by Fortnite-maker Epic Games.

Google was pleased by federal judge James Donato's decision to "temporarily pause the implementation of dangerous remedies demanded by Epic," a company spokesperson said, as an appeals court considers permanently blocking the order stemming from Epic's argument that the tech titan's Android Play store is an illegal monopoly.

"These remedies threaten Google Play's ability to provide a safe and secure experience and we look forward to continuing to make our case," the spokesperson added.

In response to the ruling, a spokesperson for Epic Games said in an email to AFP that Google's appeal was "meritless," citing the judge's deference to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals instead of striking down the order outright.

"The pause... is merely a procedural step," the spokesperson said.

Phones running on the Android operating system have about a 70 percent share of the world's smartphone market.

Google has been hit with a series of recent legal challenges to its dominance.

In August, a different judge found that Google's world-leading search engine was an illegal monopoly.

Google is also facing an antitrust lawsuit in a third federal case in Virginia over its dominance of online advertising.

Under the Epic Games order, for the next three years Google will be prohibited from engaging in several practices that were deemed anticompetitive by the jury in the landmark case.

For instance, the trial found that Google made its Play app store the only method to make payments to third party apps, like Fortnite.

A sizable chunk of app store revenue comes from video games, and Epic Games has long sought to have payments for its mobile games take place outside the Google or Apple app stores that take commissions as high as 30 percent.

Epic mostly lost a similar case against Apple, where a US judge largely ruled in favor of the iPhone-maker.

Apple and Google regularly argue that their app shop commissions are industry standard, and that they pay for benefits such as reach, transaction security and ferreting out malware.