JEDDAH - The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is expected to enact a stringent law designed to prevent electronic crimes, reported The Arab News.
A draft law to be debated by the Shoura Council within a few weeks provides for imprisonment of 10 years and/or a fine of SR5 million for electronic crimes.
According to Abdul Rahman Al-Yami, head of the Shoura’s Communications and Information Technology Committee, the law aims at preventing the use of the Internet to defame or harm individuals, companies and organizations.
The new law has been designed to provide information security, protect the rights of Internet and computer users, preserve the public interest and morality and safeguard the national economy.
Other punishable cyber crimes include setting up websites for trading in porno pictures and videos or facilitating drug trafficking and sales. The law will punish those who establish websites for terrorist organizations and facilitate contacts with their leaders and members or promote their ideologies or publish information on how to make bombs and explosives as well as those who try to obtain secret information related to national security.