(Telecompaper) The Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) has said local telecommunication service providers need to communicate with international application providers including Skype, WhatsApp and Viber to make sure that their offerings comply with Saudi regulations, Bloomberg reported. The regulator warned that appropriate action will be taken in the event any service provider fails to meet those requirements, adding that user privacy is of utmost importance. The commission has told service providers in Saudi Arabia to work with the developers of such applications to "quickly meet the regulatory conditions," but it did not specify how they may violate the rules in the country. Industry sources said this week that the authorities had asked telecom operators to furnish a means of control that would allow censorship in the absolute monarchy. One source said the providers had been given a week to comply. An industry source said telecom operators were behind the move, accusing STC, along with Mobily and Zain, of asking the commission to impose censorship because of the "damage" caused by free applications.