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In some countries being gay is punishable by death. It doesn't mean your walled garden app store having an app to find and punish gay people is OK.

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I don't think anyone is saying it's OK. Just that removing the app will have 0 effect on the current law or the outcome. They'd just go back to pen/paper like they had to before the app was available, and take longer.

If removing the app has 0 effect, then having the app has 0 effect also, so might as well remove it, no?

See this other comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19292651

In short, the app, as awful as it is, is an improvement for Saudi women. Getting rid of it will hurt them.

> "They'd just go back to pen/paper like they had to before the app was available, and take longer."

That would inconvenience Saudi men, would it not?

No, it would inconvenience Saudi women, because the men wouldn't bother doing the extra work.

Would the Saudis really have created this app if it didn't convenience Saudi men? I doubt that. I don't think the Saudi government is in the business of conveniencing Saudi women, except insofar as that's an incidental byproduct of conveniencing Saudi men.

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