Saudi Arabia

Overview

Despite strict content restrictions and detention of hundreds online activists during the Arab Spring, Saudis are still active participants in online life. Nearly half of the population has Internet access and regularly uses social media. The government tightly regulates political, social, and human rights-related content, as well as websites that criticize the royal family. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are technically protected, but a 2011 law requires all bloggers to obtain a license from the Ministry of Culture and Information, and laws against defamation and libel are frequently used to silence online commentators.

Access

Nearly half—47 percent—of Saudis use the Internet, placing the country’s Internet penetration rate slightly above the regional average. Overall mobile penetration is close to 200 percent, with smartphone penetration at 63 percent; the majority of Saudi Internet users access the Internet through mobile devices. Saudis are reported to be active Twitter users—in 2012, more than a third of all Arab tweets originated in the country—and online forums, Facebook, and YouTube are all popular.

Control

While more than half of the Saudi population reportedly has access to the Internet, and social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are accessible, filtering and censorship of political and religious sites is frequent. According to the country's Communications & Information Technology Commission (CITC), Saudi citizens play a prominent role in regulating content online. While the CITC intervenes to block content such as pornography, subversive activity, and insults against Islam, the government, or royal family, citizens can also report and request removal of offensive material. In March 2013, the Saudi government threatened to ban messaging applications Skype and WhatsApp, citing its inability to manage and control content transmitted over these services. In June 2013, the Saudi government successfully banned the Skype-like application Viber.

Activity

Saudi Arabia was comparatively late in coming to the Internet, introducing it after most of the Arab world was already online. However, Saudi Internet users have quickly integrated into the online world. The country witnessed a surge in activity among bloggers, citizen journalists and cyber activists following the Arab Spring in 2011. In response to increased political discourse online, the government disseminated warnings to Blackberry users urging them to avoid demonstrations and protests, and detained and imprisoned cyber activists for, among other things, inciting protests through Facebook. Still, Saudis are active online. In 2013, 60 percent of Saudis—more than in any other country, and far higher than the world average of 24 percent—said they share “everything” or “most things” online.

Nearly half—47 percent—of Saudis use the Internet, placing the country’s Internet penetration rate slightly above the regional average. Overall mobile penetration is close to 200 percent, with smartphone penetration at 63 percent; the majority of Saudi Internet users access the Internet through mobile devices. Saudis are reported to be active Twitter users—in 2012, more than a third of all Arab tweets originated in the country—and online forums, Facebook, and YouTube are all popular.

While more than half of the Saudi population reportedly has access to the Internet, and social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are accessible, filtering and censorship of political and religious sites is frequent. According to the country's Communications & Information Technology Commission (CITC), Saudi citizens play a prominent role in regulating content online. While the CITC intervenes to block content such as pornography, subversive activity, and insults against Islam, the government, or royal family, citizens can also report and request removal of offensive material. In March 2013, the Saudi government threatened to ban messaging applications Skype and WhatsApp, citing its inability to manage and control content transmitted over these services. In June 2013, the Saudi government successfully banned the Skype-like application Viber.

Saudi Arabia was comparatively late in coming to the Internet, introducing it after most of the Arab world was already online. However, Saudi Internet users have quickly integrated into the online world. The country witnessed a surge in activity among bloggers, citizen journalists and cyber activists following the Arab Spring in 2011. In response to increased political discourse online, the government disseminated warnings to Blackberry users urging them to avoid demonstrations and protests, and detained and imprisoned cyber activists for, among other things, inciting protests through Facebook. Still, Saudis are active online. In 2013, 60 percent of Saudis—more than in any other country, and far higher than the world average of 24 percent—said they share “everything” or “most things” online.