Love spying on your spouse’s cellular phone? Do you try to keep a track of everything your better-half is doing through the day on his/her mobile phone? You could land up in jail if this is part of your daily routine. Only you have to be in Saudi Arabia for facing this punishment.
Riyadh has banned "spying" on your spouse's phone and it is now a criminal offence in the West Asian country. If caught doing so, one could land in jail and punished by a hefty fine."Married individuals planning to spy on their spouse in Saudi Arabia will need to think twice, because such an activity could potentially attract a fine of 500,000 riyals ($133,000, 108,000 euros), along with a prison term for a year," Saudi Arabia's information ministry said in an English-language statement. The ministry said the act has been outlawed as part of the new anti-cybercrime law which took effect last week. The provision is aimed to "protect morals of individuals and society and protect privacy".
The move comes amid a "steady increase in cybercrimes such as blackmail, embezzlement and defamation", the statement said further.As per a report in AFP, the ultra-conservative kingdom is among the world's top per capita users of cellphone apps and social media.
Over 50 per cent of Saudi Arabia's citizens are under 25 and most of them love to spend their time on mobile platforms, away from official strictures and traditions.Israel has a 'right' to a homeland, says Saudi crown princeThe latest announcement came as Saudi Arabia continues to liberalise its strict policies, especially that deal with women. Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who rose up in the power ladder last year, has been ushering in highly-publicised policy changes.
Now, Saudi Arabia will allow women to drive as of June and has lifted a decades-long ban on cinemas.In the past, Saudi Arabia's cybercrime laws had attracted a lot of criticism from international rights groups. Dozens of Saudi citizens have been convicted on charges linked to dissent under a previous sweeping law, particularly linked to posts on Twitter. Last September, authorities issued a public call for citizens to report on the social media activities of their fellow citizens, under a broad definition of "terrorist" crimes. It directed suspicious activity be reported via the government-run "We are all security" app.
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