Cairo: A state media watchdog has summoned a snapchat user for questioning over featuring a content deemed immoral and slanderous.
The female user in question had allegedly appeared in clips including offensive slurs against others, Saudi media reported.
The General Commission for Audiovisual Media (GCAM) had reportedly summoned the girl, whose age or name was not disclosed, and completed her official data before referring her to public prosecution.
There was no immediate comment from authorities.
If convicted, the girl could face up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of SR3 million, or one of the two penalties according to the kingdom’s anti-cyber crime law, a Saudi lawyer has said.
“The penalty can be toughened because of her slander against others,” lawyer Khaled bin Nasser was quoted by Okaz newspaper as saying.
Under Saudi law, slander is punishable by up to one year in prison and a maximum fine of SR500,000 or one of the two penalties.
The court ruling can also include a temporary or permanent ban on the use of the medium utilised in the “criminalized act”, he said.
Earlier this week, Okaz reported that a prosecution monitoring centre keeps an eye round the clock on material transmitted on social media to spot any “criminalised activity”.
Saudi authorities have in recent months exposed several cyber offences. Last month, GCAM summoned a celebrated female Tiktoker accused of making racial comments in a recent broadcast and violating electronic media rules in the kingdom.
Last May, Saudi media reported that an online celebrity was referred to prosecution for spreading false news over religious authorities’ performance in the kingdom.
The female influencer, whose name was not given, had alleged on her Snapchat account that the Saudi Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice forced unmarried couples caught together to marry for at least two years.
The embattled celebrity also claimed that those failing to remain in marriage for the abovementioned period are penalised by 10 years in prison and flogging.
At the time, the General Presidency of the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice denied what it termed as rumours about its performance, saying the commission does its job in line with its regulations.
