CNN has an article about people in Saudi Arabia using bluetooth enabled phones and laptops to evade the restrictions on conversing with the opposite sex. We’ve already mentioned the possibilities for similar technology to evade political oppression, this takes it to a more… personal level.
It still seems to me that technology will not be the answer in this case, even if I’d like to believe so, if this truly becomes a widespread means for Saudi’s to evade the religious police, I could imagine them either banning such personal wireless devices, coming up with a monitoring or control system, or even limiting some wireless technologies to one gender. It brings up some interesting questions about how interpersonal behavioural restrictions will evolve as technology does. If you don’t know the gender/religion/race of the person you’re talking to, how can you restrict it?
I always wondered whether bluetooth would ever find a useful function. Now it has!