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Of all the thing I would expect the Saudi's to ask Snap to block, Al Jazeera seems pretty far down the list behind nudity. Is nudity effectively blocked on Snap

by danjoc 9y ago

Of all the thing I would expect the Saudi's to ask Snap to block, Al Jazeera seems pretty far down the list behind nudity. Is nudity effectively blocked on Snap there?

planteen 9y ago
There's a diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Al Jazeera is from Qatar. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Qatar_diplomatic_crisis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Qatar_diplomatic_crisis
- danjoc 9y ago
  My question isn't why they blocked Al Jazeera. Why doesn't Saudi Arabia block Snap? Snap has a reputation as a nude pictures app. Saudi Arabians are offended by too much ankle showing under the burka. It seems like Snap should be blocked entirely in Saudi Arabia. The punishment for sending nude pictures in that country is severe. This is a country that beheaded 157 people in 2015. Why would they allow Snap in their country in the first place? A quick search turns up this: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/09/snapchat_saudi_government/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/09/snapchat_saudi_gover... That seems to answer my question. Snap is a Saudi monitoring platform. It seems only natural they would use their influence to shape opinions by removing Al Jazeera. Sorta like how Facebook removes "fake news" from their site for the US deep state.
  - nemothekid 9y ago
    1. "Snap has a reputation as a nude pictures app." is about as relevant as WhatsApp being a reputation for a nude pictures app. That legacy is years old, especially now as Stories is a larger part of Snap's reputation and because Snap has been removing larger pornographic accounts. 2. "Why doesn't Saudi Arabia block Snap?" It really seems like you haven't been up to date on what Snapchat is. Snap is a huge social network, and I'd imagine someone is fighting to keep Snapchat so that they can still post their stories about their 20 lamborghinis they bought this morning. Again, blocking Snapchat would be like blocking instagram. 3. The real reason Al Jareeza is being blocked is political. Nudity isn't a "real" issue, much like you can certainly find Saudi princes allegedly drinking alcohol. Al Jareeza is a real thing royalty is cautious of, nudity is not.
    - danjoc 9y ago
      1. So that's what you tell your parents? Every snap thread I've ever seen is soliciting nudes found on snap or soliciting usernames to solicit nudes. 3. I don't think we're talking about the same Saudi Arabia. Just talking about sex will earn you 5 years and 1000 lashes.
      - ahakki 9y ago
        What you are describing is the way it is for the Saudi proletariat. These people don‘t use Snapchat. The rich do and their lives are completly different from what you describe.
THE_PUN_STOPS 9y ago
For background as to why this might have occurred, check out this excellent planet money podcast from June: http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2017/06/16/533272737/episode-778-what-the-falcons-up-with-qatar http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2017/06/16/533272737/episo... >MALONE: For the brother monarchies, Al-Jazeera was almost immediately an annoyance because, suddenly, you have a neighbor with a news network snooping through your trash, digging up your dirt, reporting on your scandals. >SMITH: And this whole problem really came to a head during the Arab Spring, which, you may remember, there were all these sort of grassroots people's movements in Tunisia and Libya and Egypt. And Al-Jazeera really made its name being there on the ground with the revolutionaries, featuring them and, you know, sometimes glorifying them. >MALONE: And when you're Saudi Arabia or another monarchy sitting and watching this, this is not good for you. You are worried that you may be next. >KRANE: You know, here is one of their brethren with this news channel that's kind of egging on the revolution, you know. So they - you know, of course they're pretty upset about it.
eighthnate 9y ago
Al jazeera is a very popular news ( or propaganda ) source in the middle east. The saudis think their own news or propaganda is being undermined by al jazeera. There is a worrying trend all over the world where nations are censoring to protect their own turf. The russians are doing it, the europeans are doing it, chinese are doing it, saudis are doing it and even in the US, we are doing it.
aembleton 9y ago
This video helps to explain it along with many other going ons in the Middle East https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veMFCFyOwFI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veMFCFyOwFI

by danjoc 9y ago

Of all the thing I would expect the Saudi's to ask Snap to block, Al Jazeera seems pretty far down the list behind nudity. Is nudity effectively blocked on Snap there?

planteen 9y ago

There's a diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Al Jazeera is from Qatar. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Qatar_diplomatic_crisis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Qatar_diplomatic_crisis

danjoc 9y ago
My question isn't why they blocked Al Jazeera. Why doesn't Saudi Arabia block Snap? Snap has a reputation as a nude pictures app. Saudi Arabians are offended by too much ankle showing under the burka. It seems like Snap should be blocked entirely in Saudi Arabia. The punishment for sending nude pictures in that country is severe. This is a country that beheaded 157 people in 2015. Why would they allow Snap in their country in the first place? A quick search turns up this: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/09/snapchat_saudi_government/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/09/snapchat_saudi_gover... That seems to answer my question. Snap is a Saudi monitoring platform. It seems only natural they would use their influence to shape opinions by removing Al Jazeera. Sorta like how Facebook removes "fake news" from their site for the US deep state.
- nemothekid 9y ago
  1. "Snap has a reputation as a nude pictures app." is about as relevant as WhatsApp being a reputation for a nude pictures app. That legacy is years old, especially now as Stories is a larger part of Snap's reputation and because Snap has been removing larger pornographic accounts. 2. "Why doesn't Saudi Arabia block Snap?" It really seems like you haven't been up to date on what Snapchat is. Snap is a huge social network, and I'd imagine someone is fighting to keep Snapchat so that they can still post their stories about their 20 lamborghinis they bought this morning. Again, blocking Snapchat would be like blocking instagram. 3. The real reason Al Jareeza is being blocked is political. Nudity isn't a "real" issue, much like you can certainly find Saudi princes allegedly drinking alcohol. Al Jareeza is a real thing royalty is cautious of, nudity is not.
  - danjoc 9y ago
    1. So that's what you tell your parents? Every snap thread I've ever seen is soliciting nudes found on snap or soliciting usernames to solicit nudes. 3. I don't think we're talking about the same Saudi Arabia. Just talking about sex will earn you 5 years and 1000 lashes.
    - ahakki 9y ago
      What you are describing is the way it is for the Saudi proletariat. These people don‘t use Snapchat. The rich do and their lives are completly different from what you describe.

THE_PUN_STOPS 9y ago

For background as to why this might have occurred, check out this excellent planet money podcast from June: http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2017/06/16/533272737/episode-778-what-the-falcons-up-with-qatar http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2017/06/16/533272737/episo... >MALONE: For the brother monarchies, Al-Jazeera was almost immediately an annoyance because, suddenly, you have a neighbor with a news network snooping through your trash, digging up your dirt, reporting on your scandals. >SMITH: And this whole problem really came to a head during the Arab Spring, which, you may remember, there were all these sort of grassroots people's movements in Tunisia and Libya and Egypt. And Al-Jazeera really made its name being there on the ground with the revolutionaries, featuring them and, you know, sometimes glorifying them. >MALONE: And when you're Saudi Arabia or another monarchy sitting and watching this, this is not good for you. You are worried that you may be next. >KRANE: You know, here is one of their brethren with this news channel that's kind of egging on the revolution, you know. So they - you know, of course they're pretty upset about it.

eighthnate 9y ago

Al jazeera is a very popular news ( or propaganda ) source in the middle east. The saudis think their own news or propaganda is being undermined by al jazeera. There is a worrying trend all over the world where nations are censoring to protect their own turf. The russians are doing it, the europeans are doing it, chinese are doing it, saudis are doing it and even in the US, we are doing it.

aembleton 9y ago

This video helps to explain it along with many other going ons in the Middle East https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veMFCFyOwFI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veMFCFyOwFI