When you travel somewhere, it’s important to understand the laws of that country, since they can impact tourists and locals alike. We’re seeing Saudi Arabia invest an unprecedented amount of money in tourism at the moment. It remains to be seen what comes of that, but it sure is a fascinating experiment.
Along those lines, I think it’s interesting to note that while the country is liberalizing in some ways, we’ve just seen some strict new social media rules implemented, which travelers should be aware of…
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Media Regulation has just published new rules governing social media content, which impact everyone in the country, from citizens, to expats, to visitors. As they’re described, these new regulations are intended to respect public values, protect privacy, and reflect national identity.
These new guidelines create the following boundaries for what can be posted online through social media:
- Wealth and money, including things like luxury cars and lavish lifestyles, can’t be flaunted
- Modest attire rules must be followed, in line with social values; this includes not exposing any part of the body from shoulders to legs, and avoiding tight attire that accentuates the body, or sheer fabrics considered contrary to public decency
- There can be no vulgar or offensive language in any content, so it must maintain civility and respect
- No overly personal situations can be depicted, like fights within a family
- Children and domestic workers can only appear in content if they consent to it
- No tribal or sectarian content that divides or harms social harmony is allowed
Penalties for non-compliance for these new rules include fines, content removal, account suspension, or even legal action, depending on severity (one wonders how a country can remove content and suspend accounts, but I digress). As you can see, this isn’t a situation where Saudi Arabia is threatening to throw people in jail for one simple infraction (though it’s open ended, so…).
Enforcement of these rules will get interesting
Broadly speaking, I think it’s fair for regulators around the world to put more thought into how social media is used, as it becomes an increasingly big part of our lives. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but it just seems like we’re barreling toward a world where we think what we see online is real (even if it isn’t), and it shapes our view in a strange way.
Saudi Arabia has a large, young, and very online population, so I’m not surprised to see the country introducing some regulations. Some of these policies seem quite thoughtful. For example, I’m all for banning posting videos or pictures of kids and workers without their consent.
However, other restrictions are a little more questionable, especially given that Saudi Arabia is currently making a massive push for luxury tourism. You can’t flaunt luxury lifestyles? Where exactly is the line on that drawn? Can I post a video of my hotel suite? What if I only got the suite thanks to a complimentary elite upgrade (meaning I’m not showing off wealth)? What about if I’m flying first class?
Meanwhile I find the new more modest attire policies for social media to be noteworthy, given all the new Red Sea beach resorts being opened. I just had a look at the geotags from a few resorts that are open there, and ummm, there’s a lot of body flaunting going on (very small bikinis, all that kind of stuff).
I’m curious to what extent these regulations will actually be enforced among foreigners. I would imagine that many foreigners don’t even know these rules, so will resorts warn guests of these rules, or…?
Bottom line
Saudi Arabia has unveiled strict new social media rules, intended to respect public values, protect privacy, and reflect national identity. What makes this most interesting is that it comes at a time when Saudi Arabia has otherwise liberalized, and is making a big push for foreign tourists.
Some of the new restrictions seem totally sensible, like not recording children or domestic workers without their consent. Meanwhile I’m a little more skeptical of the practical implications of banning the flaunting of wealth, along with more “revealing” clothing, especially with the current Red Sea resorts that are opening.
What do you make of these new social media rules, and how do you see this playing out?
