Cairo: A Saudi state media watchdog has summoned a celebrated female TikToker accused of making racial comments in a recent broadcast, reports said.
The influencer, whose name was not revealed, has been summoned by the General Commission for Audiovisual Media purportedly for violating electronic media rules in the kingdom.
The commission has embarked on taking measures pertaining to penalties against the offender accused of throwing racial slurs against another online user, media reports said.
The offender later made a public apology to her followers, according to Saudi news portal Sabq that did not name her.
There was no immediate comment from authorities.
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.
The influencer’s claims are deemed a violation of Saudi Arabia’s anti-cyber crime law, legal experts said.
The offence is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of SR3 million besides publishing the summary of the court ruling at the offender’s expense.
