Apple blamed for preemptive action

Apple allegedly holds sole responsibility for restricting FaceTime access in countries throughout the Middle East. An unnamed source has told The Next Web that Apple preemptively omitted the feature, unbeknownst to the regional carriers. The company reportedly believed the technology would face roadblocks with local VoIP regulations.

An iPhone carrier in the United Arab Emirates has confirmed the lack of FaceTime support, as noted in the company's Twitter posts. Company representatives told frustrated customers "it's not in our hands and we'll keep you posted of any further updates."

The omission became apparent as Apple worked to remove all FaceTime references from marketing materials distributed in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen and several other countries.

The latest source claims that Apple backtracked on its initial decision and asked the carriers if support could be added in future updates. Some companies allegedly denied the request, although it is unclear if all of the affected carriers responded in the same manner. [via AppleInsider]

by MacNN Staff