Saudi Arabia bans influencer from advertising for promoting smoking

Dubai: A famous Arab female Snapchat influencer has been banned from advertising in Saudi Arabia for publishing videos promoting tobacco through her social media accounts, local media reported.

The move was taken by the Kingdom’s General Commission for Audio-visual Media after the influencer violated several laws in the Kingdom by promoting smoking.

The commission also slapped a fine of SR400,000 on the Snapchatter for advertising without a licence, according to a statement carried by Saudi Press Agency SPA.

The woman violated several regulations, including: the audio-visual media law, the e-commerce law, and the anti-smoking law by advertising without a licence, and publishing videos and promoting tobacco through her accounts on social media, the commission said in the statement.

Regulations in the Kingdom prohibit promoting, marketing or advertising tobacco products directly or indirectly, the commission added.