Saudi tightens grip on Internet use

Saudi tightens grip on Internet use
By David Westley on Saturday, January 26, 2008

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has begun implementing new
laws for controlling the use of technology for
terrorism, fraud, pornography, defamation, violating
religious values and disregarding public etiquette.

The new information technology law contains 16
articles, and provides a maximum penalty of 10 years
and a SR5 million fine ($1.3 million) for persons
found guilty of running web sites in support of
terrorist organisations.

A maximum penalty of three years and a SR500,000 fine
($133,000) will be handed to anyone found guilty of
financial or data fraud, or found guilty of attacking
the private life of another subject.

The new law also covers the religious and social use
of information and communications technology. Those
who produce and distribute IT materials that violate
public law, religious values and public etiquette will
receive up to five years in jail, and a SR3 million
fine ($800,000). Those who use information technology
to spread and market pornography will face the same
punishment.

The new law comes into effect as Saudi Arabia faces
the world's attention for its treatment of Saudi
blogger Ahmad Fouad Al-Farhan. Al-Farhan was arrested
for violating "non-security regulations", and is
believed to be the first online critic to be arrested
in the kingdom.

Al-Farhan's blog - Searching for freedom, dignity,
justice, equality, shoura and all the rest of lost
Islamic values - has posted a letter, allegedly from
Al-Farhan, which states he believes he was arrested
because he "wrote about political prisoners in Saudi
Arabia".

According to a Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry source,
speaking to Saudi newspaper, Arab News, the new law
has been introduced to "combat IT-related crimes that
threatens security and safety of human societies".

Punishment will be extended to those who aid those who
commit IT crime; while those show that they exhibited
intent to commit the crime through their actions, even
if the crime didn't take place, will receive up to
half the maximum sentence.