How Social Media Has Affected The Citizens of South Arabia

Social media has had a significant growth in recent years across the globe even in the societies that are considered to be closely knit. There are significant globaldevelopment, which are making it very difficult to live in a world that is not based on technology. Social media is not just a social interaction place but it is has been significantly modified in recent years creating a high level focus on the need to integrate business activities within social places based on the high level of engagement. Saudi Arabia is one of the countries in the world that for so long it had resisted western technological development although the view has significantly changed creating a well-developed society that is much more flexible than it was in past years. Social media has been a significant aspect within Saudi Arabia communities with significant influence on the people despite the rigidity of the Saudi Arabia social environment. There have been major rules and regulations that have been put in place to govern social media in Saudi Arabia by focusing on its overall engagement on the lives of individuals. This research paper provides a detailed analysis on the rules and regulation on social media as well as its overall influence on the lives of its citizens.

Social media involves a number of social interaction sites, whichhave been significantly engaged in creating a significant understanding on the need to improve individual overall focus based on the increasing technological development. It is important to put into consideration important elements within societal environment where it is very easy to engage individuals across different societies. The high-level influence of social media requires a significant focus on the need to put in place laws and regulation, which can help in streamlining the overall environment where individuals are able to embrace social media in their lives. Social media in Saudi Arabia is a new development, which has been effectively put into consideration by the changing high-level focus on technology development as a western-based weapon aimed at derailing the growth of Islam(Makki & Chang, 2015).

Saudi Arabia is a country that is deeply developed under strictadherence of the sharia law, which requires significant focus on Islamic teaching, which have been against technological development for so long within the country. The overall focus on technological development has been made in the recent past although it is important to note that there is no significant freedom of media since it is guided by strict measures, which everyone is expected to abide. The social media environment is largely regulated which means that there is no free association although the focus on the technological advancement is likely to positively impact on the Saudi society and play a crucial role in developing a free society which is developed based on crucial understanding of important aspects within societal development(Al Saud & Khan, 2013).

The global focus on technology has made it very difficult for countries to develop without embracing the technological changes. Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that for so long have resisted change although the significant focus on their own development has led to leverage on certain important aspects within the society with technology focus being one of the key aspects that have been considered. The need to create a better environment for interaction away from dictatorial regime has been a significant aspect, which has been developed within Saudi Arabia within critical focus on the need to embrace technology and social media interaction among citizens. The measures that have been put in place regarding regulating the social media environment have majorly been based on crucial understanding on the need to develop a better understanding and environment where individuals would be able to exercise their rights effectively. The focus to create a clear environment under which organizational engagement can be successful is an important aspect to consider when creating crucial understanding on what needs to be considered within social environment.

The social media development in Saudi Arabia

By January 2017, 50% of the world population had access to the internet. The worldwide number of social media subscriberswas expected to exceed 2 billion people across the globe. There are various social media networks, which are differently engaged, based on a number of key aspects such as operational environment, terms and conditions as well as the general content, which is shared on the social media sites. North America is the leading region in social media penetration considering the technological developments and innovations that have occurred in the region over the years. The Middle East has been significantly on the rise in social media penetration over recent years with an average above the global average percentage at 60%. The availability of smartphones and reduced costs of internet packages are some of the key reason explaining the high-level social media penetration in Middle East(Aldhaban, Daim, & Harmon, 2017).

Saudi Arabia’s social media technology has been significantly increasing due to the low average age of the country’s population who have highly embraced technology. The most popular social media network in Saudi Arabia has been YouTube with a 65% penetration rate. Facebook is the second most engaged social media network in the country with a 57% penetration rate followed by Instagram at 52% based on 2016 report. The engagement of these social media networks have been effectively developed creating a crucial environment where it would ensure that the social media networks, which are operational within the country, comply with the values, which define the people and social interactions of the people of Saudi Arabia(Felix, Rauschnabel, & Hinsch, 2017).

The different levels of penetration have focused on easiness to use the social media network and the overall environment in which they are allowed to operate from. It is important to ensure that there is a crucial understanding on important elements, which influence the level of engagement between different social media networks. The operational environment as well as the overall need to develop a clear understanding on what needs to be done has created a critical environment where it is much easy to engage in the social media sites in place.

The Saudi government is one of the highly protective countries in the world with high-developedlaws, which are aimed at limiting the overall engagement among the citizens. The country has put in place critical laws and regulations, which are aimed at creating a significant environment where it would be possible to restrict the content that is being accessed by the public. The laws and regulations that have been put in place are significantly monitored by state agencies, which hold any one accountable, based on the assertion that their posts on social media violate any of the laws that have been put in place(Al-Saggaf & Simmons, 2014).

Social media laws and regulations

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has enacted a number of laws, which have focused in limiting the overall engagement within social media environment. It is important to understand that the entire of the Middle East has no significant focus on free media hence the government puts in place restrictions to ensure that citizens have a reduced engagement environment where they can be easily monitored. Questioning the decisions made by the government are always seen as an act of treason, which is a highly punishable offense. The Saudi Arabia society is much closed and thus they do not entertain social media messages, which are seen to contravene the underlying focus on important elements within societal engagement. The overall environment where there is appositive engagement based on general interaction forms the basis under which Saudi social media laws are developed (Makki & Chang, 2015).

Anti-cybercrime law of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Any offense that is committed based on use of technology-based device or platform is considered as a cybercrime and anall-social media offenses are reviewed based on anti-cyber laws. The internet has become an integral part of individuals within the kingdom creating a significant focus where individuals are able to engage with each other based on the underlying laws and regulations, which govern personal space. Anti-cybercrime laws are put in place to provide a clear environment where it is possible to engage an individual on a violation on the section of the anti-cybercrimelaws, which are developed, with crucial focus on the social media environment.

The anti-cybercrime law of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia was disseminated by royal decree in 2007. The law is very wide containing 16 articles with significant basis on sharia, which plays a critical role in protecting the right to privacy for everyone within the kingdom as well as ensuring that any invasion is effectively prohibited. The increased use of social media in the kingdom has significantly pushed up the number of cybercrimes. The high rates of cybercrimes are mainly based on the fact that many people within the kingdom are not aware of the laws in place and thus do not know the time when they are crossing the line between what need to be considered and what is considered as a violation(Alghamdi & Reilly, 2013).

There is also an understanding that individuals within the kingdom have commit cybercrimes knowing that it will be very difficult for the government to catch up them especially based on sophisticated social media networks which have significant privacy features which protect their users from a third party access to their private and confidential information. The cybercrimes in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia can be effectively understood effectively when classified under three key categories based on the level of engagement and the penalties that have been put place as punitive measures for different cyber-crimes committed by citizens of the kingdom.

Category 1 Cyber crimes

The crimes that are highlighted under this category include invading individual privacy, defamation of any legal or natural person and gaining illegal access to any data that is considered classified or making unauthorized access to certain information, blackmail or coercion. Any individuals who is found guilty to have committed the crimes mentioned within this category is eligible to fines up to 500,000 Saudi riyals, an imprisonment of up to one year or both based on court decision(Kleijnen, Ramanathan, Rizley, Holland, & Morrissey, 2016).

Category 2

This category includes crimes involving unauthorized access or hacking of social media accounts. Any individual who is found guilty having committed these crimes is eligible for a four-year prison sentence or 3,000,000 Saudi riyals.

Category 3

The crimes that are included in this category are crimes related to publication, transmission or storage of materials that are inconsistent with public policy, morality and religious values of the kingdom, publishing pornography and distribution of narcotics. An individual who is found guilty of having committed any of these crimes is eligible to 3,000,000 Saudi riyals, five-year sentence or both (Kleijnen et al., 2016).

A key issue in this case has been the implementation of this laws and the threshold under which cyber criminals are held responsible for their actions. The sharia law does not provide a for a high level of burden of truth as long as there is an understanding about a given crime and the perpetrator is aware it can be ruled either way depending on the interpretation made within the court system. The overall engagement within the kingdom on social media networks requires critical focus on ensuring that there is a better understanding of the underlying laws and regulations in order to be better placed in understanding what is considered a violation of the anti-cybercrime and the actions that are within the accepted threshold. Social media have theirownpolicies, which guide their operations. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has provided the companies with significant need and understanding on the key values that need to be upheld in creating a better environment where they can be allowed to operate(Worth, 2012).

The anti-cybercrime legislation was developed effective to ensure that the right to privacy is highly upheld among all social media users as well as punishing the criminals who are trying to invade other people’s privacy without their consent. The social media users are therefore tasked with managing their own actions on social media to ensure that they are well engaged and remain within the required thresholds of the law, which are critical to achieve. An important aspect that has been highlighted in this case is the underlying focus on the fact that ignorance of the law is not under any circumstance the basis under which the criminal action can be justified. It is important to review the underlying cybercrime laws and regulation and ensuring that they are followed in creating a better social media engagement. The cybercrime laws therefore help in ensuring that the social media environment is regulated(Chaudhry, 2014).

Regulation is key in ensuring that different stakeholders are engaged positively considering the high chance that the freedom of an individual could lead to violation of other ones rights. Social media is allows fun and effective interaction which need to be maintained at a certain level in ensuring that there is a positive engagement under which there is a clear understanding on what needs to be considered in ensuring that there is a positive engagement across all individuals within social media environment.

Review of the anti-cybercrime laws

The Saudi authorities are putting in place crucial measures, which are aimed at creating a significant environment where the implementation of the laws could be effectively handled as well as ensuring that there is a better understanding on the need to develop a proper focus on the underlying focus positive engagement on social media. There is an understanding that the existing anti cybercrime laws are more general which cannot effectively form the basis under which an individual can be effectively tried and found guilty on a specific offense committed. The review is focusing on the loopholes within the current laws, which are being exploited by social media users.

The major focus for the review on the existing anti cybercrime laws is to initiate legal proceeding against social media giant companies such as Twitter and Facebook for allowing accounts, which are significantly against the values, and social norms, which govern and guide the people of Saudi Arabia. The companies have allowed accounts that promote adultery, homosexuality andatheism to continue operation with the kingdom which are playing part in the cultural erosion that is taking place within the kingdom. According to the report, there exists at least 25,000 accounts on twitter targeting Saudi nationals and their culture and at least 4,500 accounts on twitter, which promote atheism in Saudi Arabia written in Arabic language. The violation of the basic religious and moral understanding on these issues play a key role in influencing the operational environment where these companies can be significantly engaged in creating a clear environment where they can be effectively engaged in creating a well engaged environment(Makki & Chang, 2015).

The basic constitutional law

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is developed under very strict and limited media operational environment with no guarantees in the constitution regarding the freedom of expression. The Saudi government has curtailed the freedom of expression. This is mainly considering to the fact that the kingdom has not been developed on democratic grounds. Article 39 of the Saudiconstitution, which covers expression, asserts that information, publication and all other medias will apply a courteous language and the states regulations which will help in promoting nation building and unity. The article prohibits any form of communication that fosters division on state security and public relations or detractman’s dignity and rights. This is a clear assertion that the freedom that Saudi nationals have to express themselves is subject to state approval, which means that there is no clear freedom of expression within the kingdom from any media, which includes social media (Alghamdi & Reilly, 2013).

Article 12 of the basic law also asserts that state will prevent anything that is more likely to cause disunity within the kingdom. It is very clear that there is consideration in place which highlights the understanding freedom of expression that members of the kingdom are expected to enjoy. The state is the custodian of the rights and freedoms enjoyed by individuals and thus sets the limits, which can be reached by individual. This is crucial in ensuring that there is no violation while they can also limit the rights and freedom of its citizens when there is an understanding that a given action is likely to cause harm to the state than good.(Seliaman & Al-Turki, 2012)

The media law

Saudi government developed the press and publications act in 2003, which was an amended version of the Press law of the year 1963. The newly amended laws provided a more liberal environment where media was allowed to operate but ensured that they still operated within the required state thresholds. The media based on the press and publication acts was allowed to report on bad news within the kingdom, which was limited to fires and criticizing policies although critique of the leaders and rulers was not warranted and could lead to negative consequences on an individual. However, the press and publications act does not provide any considerationof a free media but media that is regulated by state authorities who must be able to analyses information before it can be aired to the citizens. Constructive criticism is significantly encouraged under this law although it must not be pointing an accusation towards the rulers, which could have detrimental impact on the overall ability to disseminate crucial information within a given social environment(Worth, 2012).

The current landscape has been significantly revolutionized considering the high focus on international media and social media where information cannot be easily sieved by the authorities. Social media has been highly engaged in the kingdom where information sharing is undertaken. The overall focus on creating a clear understanding on what need to be considered within the kingdom is key. The government has adopted a more lenient approach in dealing with violation of the laws by social media users although there are important considerations that are being put in place to ensure that there is a proper and regulated environment (Kleijnen et al., 2016).

This is where social media content can be reviewed effectively and ensure that any individual who is spreading negative statement about the kingdom and its government should be held accountable for their own actions. The laws that have been put in place have created a very critical environment where freedom of expression can be effectively practiced. There is need to develop a clear understanding on important laws which can be put into consideration in ensuring that the people of Saudi Arabia have a better social environment where they can effectively engaged each other for overall social development considering the increasing social development based on social media engagement across the globe (Tahat, 2014).

The effect of social media on the behavior of citizens

Social media has played a significant role in opening up the Saudi Arabia society to the world. The Saudi government initially had put in place a strong emphasis on a conservative society which viewed technological development as immoral and aimed sway them away from the underlying teaching is Quran. The development of more flexible policies, which allowed technology development within the country, has created a significant environment where there is positive engagement where many individuals are on social media where they are able to interact with the rest of the world. The flexible social environment has created a significant understanding on important aspects and development across the globe where the country has remained well informed(Tahat, 2014).

The focus on social media has opened up significant focus on the developments on social media, which include online marketing, which is a crucial strategy, which is revolutionizing the business environment. Social media has been able to open up significant online avenues where individuals are able to put in place key measures where they can develop and advance their business and share with the world. The world has become a global village, which means that sharing information has become very easy making it important in developing important aspects, which can be considered in creating a better understanding on what needs to be done within social media environment. Online marketing based on the social media environment is having significant influence on the Saudi business environment considering the high level of engagement. Online marketing is playing a key role in creating a better environment where it would be very easy to engage individuals within their own comfort zones. Almost 50% of the country is made of young individuals this means that there is increasing focus on social media, which will be able to open up other avenues, which are crucial in both social and business environment.

Social media has played a key role in championing for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia. It is much easier in Saudi Arabia to communicate and interact on social media than making statement in the press, which are likely to be viewed as inciting to cause, violate which is one of the violations of the media laws. The Saudi Arabia media industry is not very much open considering the significant limitations to the freedom of expression that citizens are entitled to in a civilized and democratic. This means that even though the anti-cyber and media laws have capped social media, it is still important to makes statements, which can create positive change within the society. Recently women in Saudi Arabia have been allowed to drive something, which was unheard of in recent past. The change of attitude towards matters of national importance in the country have formed a clear understanding on what needs to be considered in ensuring that there is a better focus and engagement within the society(Hussain & Ahmad, 2014).

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is opening up to the world through important developments and thus social media is applying a crucial role in influencing the decisions that are being made by the government. The government has close monitoring on social media, which means that it is very much aware of the conversations that are taking place, which helps in making decisions that influence the people of Saudi Arabia.

The social media have provided Saudi nationals with in alternative to the state controlled press, which cannot critic the government. The press does not address the real issues in the society but rather spend more time praising the government or religious sermons. You tube has played a crucial role in providing platform for many entertainment companies which are uploading their content on YouTube and help engage the YouTube subscribers thus offering alternative entertainment(Al-Saggaf & Simmons, 2014).

The learning environment has also been significantly boosted by the advancement in social media with significant focus on YouTube. The availability of tutorials have helped both learners and instructors to have a better environment where they can learn important concepts considering the fact that they are important elements based on the overall wellbeing of the entire society. The learning environment has also been boosted where students are able to interact over social media and have important understanding on what needs to be considering in creating a clear environment where it would be much easier to relate with each other as well as other learners from the global focus. The overall need to put in place key measures in the overall social development has been positively influenced by the emergence of social media.

However, even though social media is considered to have played a crucial role in revolutionizing the social interactions, it is important to note that there is significant cultural erosion within the country. The high-level engagement on social media among young Saudis has played a detrimental role in reshaping the cultural environment. Saudi Arabia is a country that is developed based on strong cultural and religious background and has remained intact for so long until the integration of technology and emergence of social media. Managing social media has proved to be a very difficult task to the government making it difficult to control the level of engagement and the information that is shared by individuals based on the privacy policies that are put in place by these social network policies. These social network companies highly value customer privacy and would not risk sharing personal and private information with a thirty party unless otherwise(Al-Khalifa, 2012).

The erosion of key cultural principles is detrimental to the Saudi heritage which is one of the best engaged in the world. The westernization influence is significantly influenced Saudi citizens, which will automatically lead to high-level integration of foreign culture. One of the key reasons why the government was very much reluctant in putting in embracing technology was a key understanding that technology will have a detrimental impact to the people of Saudi, which will create problems in the system. The key legislations that have been put in place have been unable to play a key role limiting the overall influence that social media is having to the people of Saudi Arabia(Alwagait, Shahzad, & Alim, 2015).

Conclusion

Social media is highly engaged in Saudi Arabia. This has been made possible by changes that have been put in place by the government to ensure that the country is able to embrace global development. Social media legislation that have been put in place have aimed limiting the interaction processes among the citizens although the privacy regulations that have been put in place by social network companies do not allow government interference in their operations especially access of private and personal information with a third party. Social media has improved the overall interaction among the Saudi nationals while it has also been detrimental in eroding key underlying cultural values, which define the Saudi culture.