Gulf Arab nations ask Netflix to remove ‘offensive’ videos
Saudi Arabia and UAE published the statement via their respective governments
Dubai: Gulf Arab states have demanded that US streaming giant Netflix remove content deemed offensive to “Islamic and societal values” in the region, Saudi Arabia’s media regulator said on Tuesday.
A statement issued jointly by the Saudi media regulator and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, headquartered in Riyadh, did not specifically identify the offending material, referring only to content that “contracts Islamic and societal values”.
The Riyadh-based General Commission for Audiovisual Media statement said the content violated media regulations in the Gulf Cooperation Council, which groups Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.
If Netflix continued to broadcast the content then “necessary legal measures will be taken”, it said, without elaborating.
“The platform was contacted to remove this content, including content directed to children,” the statement said.
Saudi state television also aired a segment suggesting Netflix could be banned in the Kingdom over that programming reaching children.
The UAE issued a similarly worded statement regarding Netflix content on Tuesday, saying it would follow up on what the platform broadcasts in the coming days and “assess its commitment to broadcasting controls” in the country.