Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia filters Web sites related
to opposition political groups, human
rights issues, and religious content
deemed offensive to Muslims. Pornography and Web sites containing LGBT
content are pervasively filtered, as
are circumvention and online privacy
tools. Bloggers have been arrested and
blogs and Web sites run by online
activists have been blocked.
Background
Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the cradle of Islam. It
embraces a strict interpretation of Sunni Islam and has a strong religious self-identity.
Political parties are banned, and activists who publicly call for reform risk being jailed. 1
Journalism is strictly controlled, and journalists must exercise self-censorship in order
to avoid government scrutiny and dismissal. 2
Despite substantial Saudi investment in pan-Arab satellite television such as the
Dubai-based MBC channels and the Bahrain-based Orbit Satellite Network, the media
environment within Saudi Arabia is one of the most tightly controlled in the region.
RESULTS AT A GLANCE
Filtering
No Evidence
of Filtering
Suspected
Filtering
Selective
Filtering
Substantial
Filtering
Pervasive
Filtering
Political
Social
Conflict and security
Internet tools
Other Factors
Low
Medium
High
Not
Applicable
Transparency
Consistency
Saudi Arabia filters Web sites related
to opposition political groups, human
rights issues, and religious content
deemed offensive to Muslims. Pornography and Web sites containing LGBT
content are pervasively filtered, as
are circumvention and online privacy
tools. Bloggers have been arrested and
blogs and Web sites run by online
activists have been blocked.
Background
Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the cradle of Islam. It
embraces a strict interpretation of Sunni Islam and has a strong religious self-identity.
Political parties are banned, and activists who publicly call for reform risk being jailed. 1
Journalism is strictly controlled, and journalists must exercise self-censorship in order
to avoid government scrutiny and dismissal. 2
Despite substantial Saudi investment in pan-Arab satellite television such as the
Dubai-based MBC channels and the Bahrain-based Orbit Satellite Network, the media
environment within Saudi Arabia is one of the most tightly controlled in the region.
RESULTS AT A GLANCE
Filtering
No Evidence
of Filtering
Suspected
Filtering
Selective
Filtering
Substantial
Filtering
Pervasive
Filtering
Political
Social
Conflict and security
Internet tools
Other Factors
Low
Medium
High
Not
Applicable
Transparency
Consistency