Abu Dhabi: Saudi prosecutors on Sunday summonsed a man who filmed and published a video clip of a woman selling vegetables, local media reported.
The Public Prosecution called upon everyone to follow the regular procedures and report any infringing of privacy of individuals or their rights guaranteed by law.
Under Saudi cybercrime law, taking photos or videos of people without their consent i prohibited and it is illegal to circulate such material online. The laws also ban snooping on people’s phones as well as using profane language via messaging apps.
In recent years, several people have been jailed for sending insulting WhatsApp messages to friends or relatives. Anti-Cyber Crime Law prescribes penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment and/or a fine of up to nearly $800 million for anyone convicted of using the internet to infringe on religious boundaries and social morals and ethics. This includes the production of offending material, whether pornographic or drug-related, and human trafficking.
Penalties apply not only to the creation of illegal content, but also to sharing it.
To encourage the public to report cybercrimes, the authorities have given courts the power to exempt from penalties those who do so. In cases where the perpetrator of a crime did not know they were violating the law, or before any harm has been caused, penalties may also be waived.
Office of the Public Prosecutor is responsible for investigating cybercrimes, with assistance from the Communications and Information Technology Commission.
