Penalty for offensive WhatsApp stickers: 500,000 riyal fine and imprisonment
Legal warning against sharing offensive WhatsApp stickers
In this era of rapid digital development, instant messaging applications, especially WhatsApp, have become an integral part of our daily lives. With the widespread use of stickers to express feelings and opinions, negative practices have emerged, such as turning other people's personal photos into mocking or offensive stickers without their permission. In this context, legal experts have warned that these actions are not mere jokes, but rather constitute a clear violation of privacy and fall under the purview of the Anti-Cybercrime Law in Saudi Arabia.
General context and importance of protecting digital space
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia places great importance on protecting individual rights in the digital space, in line with modern legislation that enhances quality of life and community security. The Anti-Cybercrime Law has established a strict legal framework to curb technological abuses such as cyberbullying, defamation, and extortion. Criminalizing the misuse of personal images reflects the Saudi legislature's commitment to preserving human dignity and protecting reputations from any harm that may befall individuals through social media platforms, making the Kingdom a leading model in digital governance and the protection of user rights.
Strict penalties: imprisonment and fines
Legal consultant and lawyer Bandar Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi affirmed that the unlawful handling of personal images through technological means, such as designing or distributing stickers bearing people's faces without their explicit permission, constitutes a blatant violation of privacy. He explained that Article 3 of the Anti-Cybercrime Law criminalizes any act that infringes upon privacy through the misuse of camera-equipped mobile phones or similar devices.
Al-Amoudi emphasized that the penalties for these practices are very severe, including imprisonment for up to one year and a fine of up to 500,000 riyals, or one of these two penalties. More importantly, legal responsibility is not limited to the person who created the sticker, but extends to anyone who contributed to its distribution or circulation if criminal intent to offend or defame is proven.
When is the use of images considered a cybercrime?
For his part, legal researcher Abdulmalik Al-Fassi explained that cases involving the use of images via technological means often fall under the purview of the Anti-Cybercrime Law. He clarified that classifying an act as a crime is not automatic, but rather depends on the presence of specific elements and circumstances stipulated by the law. These acts become criminalized if they involve defamation of others, direct abuse, or are intended to harm a person, in addition to cases of blackmail, which are among the most serious forms of technological exploitation.
Al-Fassi added that the system has expanded the scope of protection to include various forms of digital publishing, stressing that using a person’s image without their permission in designing a poster may be considered a separate crime in itself, and the punishment is subject to the seriousness of the act and its consequences.
Steps for reporting and protecting digital rights
To ensure a safe digital environment, experts advise social media users to exercise extreme caution and refrain from sharing private photos in groups as stickers. In case of harm, the victim has the right to seek recourse from the appropriate authorities. Legal professionals emphasized the importance of documenting digital evidence, such as taking screenshots (capturing conversations) that prove the abuse, and then filing an official complaint through the Ministry of Interior's "Kulluna Amn" (We Are All Security) application, or going to police stations to claim both public and private rights. This ensures that offenders are held accountable according to established legal frameworks.
